Solicitors across eastern Hertfordshire are offering their will writing services free of charge to support Isabel Hospice this month.

Welwyn Garden City-based solicitors HRJ Foreman Laws are among five firms who have pledged to write basic and mirror wills for members of the local community free of charge in October, asking that clients instead make an optional donation to hospice care charity Isabel Hospice. 

The Welwyn Garden City-based charity has organised the scheme named Make a Will Month.

The initiative, running to October 31, 2024, aims to help members of the community protect their legacy and the future of their loved ones, while also supporting the vital work of Isabel Hospice.

The hospice has for more than 40 years been dedicated to providing vital palliative and end-of-life care to patients and families in eastern Hertfordshire free of charge.

The suggested donations to Isabel Hospice are £120 for a basic single will or £175 for a pair of mirrored basic wills.

Conor Williams, senior individual giving officer at Isabel Hospice, said: "We are incredibly grateful to all the solicitors and will writers who are donating their time and expertise for free during Make a Will Month.

"Their support, along with the donations given by those having their wills written, will enable Isabel Hospice to continue providing care and support to families in eastern Hertfordshire affected by life limiting illness.

“It's crucial to highlight the importance of having a will, especially considering that an alarming 60 per cent of adults in the UK do not yet have one written.

"If you don’t have a will, everything you own could be shared out in a standard way defined by law – which may not be the way you want."

Robert France, partner at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors, said: “We are supporting the Isabel Hospice Make a Will Month and hope to be able to raise as much as we can to support the essential work and support offered by everyone at the hospice.  

“Clients who come to us via the initiative will receive the best guidance and support to make the right will for their circumstances.  We look forward to meeting everyone.”

How to claim

To claim your free will today, simply contact one of the participating legal professionals and quote the Isabel Hospice Make a Will scheme. There are limited appointments available with each firm, so be sure to book fast to avoid disappointment. 

The participating solicitors and will writers are: 

HRJ Foreman Laws – Welwyn Garden City
Tel: 01707 887 700
Email: Robert.France@hrjforemanlaws.co.uk

J Stifford Solicitors – Hertford
Tel: 01992 945 190
Email: stephen@jslsolicitors.co.uk

Westcott Wills – Bishop’s Stortford
Tel: 07941 069 823
Email: nwestcott@westcottwills.co.uk

Kingsbridge Wills & Trusts LTD – Hertford
Tel: 02083 646 789
Email: advice@kingsbridgewills.co.uk

S Bish Estate Planning – Across Hertfordshire
Tel: 01727 220 930
Email: contact@sbishestateplanning.com

For more information about Make a Will Month, visit isabelhospice.org.uk/MakeAWill

Alternatively contact Conor Williams, senior individual giving officer at Isabel Hospice, at conor.williams@isabelhospice.org.uk or 01707 954 817.

Isabel Hospice has been providing free palliative care to its patients and their families since 1982.

It provides support and care to people in eastern Hertfordshire who are affected by life-limiting illnesses through its Community Care Team of clinical nurse specialists and Hospice at Home service, In-Patient Unit, Living Well with Isabel hub, and its family and bereavement support service.

Isabel’s services are free of charge to those who need them, but they are not without cost, meaning nearly £7 million must be raised each year to guarantee the future of care for eastern Hertfordshire.