Make a Will Month October 2025

We are taking part by supporting St Leonard’s Hospice in Make a Will Month in October 2025.

St Leonard’s Hospice Make a Will Month is an annual fundraising campaign. With the support of solicitors who donate their time and skills, the Hospice encourages people to have their Will drawn up by a professional solicitor in exchange for a donation to St Leonard’s.

Over the years, St Leonard’s Make a Will campaign has encouraged numerous people to make their Wills and to put their affairs in order, raised valuable funds for the Hospice and spared families the legal complications of a loved one dying intestate.

St Leonard’s Make a Will Month is a great way to support a much loved local charity.

How Make a Will Month works

During Make a Will Month (October 2025) participating solicitors draw up a standard Will for clients without charging their usual fee. Instead, they invite their clients to make a voluntary donation to St Leonard’s Hospice. The suggested donation level is £90* for a standard single Will or £180* for standard joint Wills and £60 for a codicil. Donations support the vital work of the Hospice in caring for local people in York and the surrounding area.

How the money raised by St Leonard’s Make a Will Month is spent

All the donations raised during Make a Will Month support St Leonard’s ongoing work in the local community. They provide end of life care for terminally ill patients and expert care for patients with life-limiting illnesses including cancer, respiratory disorders, heart disease, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease and other neurological problems.

They believe that everyone with a life-limiting illness should get the best possible care and be supported to die well. At the Hospice, in their home or in the community, donations from the Make a Will month scheme means they can be here to help more people in York and North Yorkshire when they’re facing life-limiting illness and bereavement.

Suggested donation levels

The donation is voluntary and at the discretion of the client. Instead of charging the normal fee for drawing up a standard Will, solicitors invite clients to donate to St Leonard’s Hospice – the suggestion is £90* for a single standard Will, £180* for a pair of standard mirror Wills and £60* for a codicil.  

*If your Will requires advice of a complex nature, your chosen solicitor is at liberty to charge you accordingly. However, any possible additional charges relating to the complexity of your Will shall be advised to you before proceeding. Additionally, there will be a disbursement charge for an AML check which will be payable to your chosen solicitor.

What if I have complicated instructions or require tax planning advice?

The Hospice’s scheme is designed to cover the preparation of a basic, standard Will. If you require additional services then the solicitor will provide you with a separate cost for you to pay them for the additional work.

What is considered a standard Will?

Make a Will Month considers this to include a Will for anyone whose assets are below the inheritance tax threshold and/or is simply leaving their assets to a few family members, friends and charities. A standard Will also includes two to three executors. If a client requires, for example, any trusts set up or financial or estate-planning advice then this would be considered outside the scheme.

How do you make an appointment in October as part of the Make a Will Month?

Contact Belinda, Emma or Lois at our York office (01904 624185) or Maureen at our Selby office (01757 708957) to schedule your appointment in October, we have set a fixed amount of appointments and these will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.