Your Will must be clearly written and formally signed and witnessed, and your solicitor will be able to explain that to you. Sometimes they will also suggest writing a letter of wishes, that sits alongside your Will to help explain your decisions in relation to specific gifts.

Creating a separate letter of wishes can mean that the Will itself remains clear and is less likely to result in complications when administering your estate.

In a letter of wishes you can express yourself in a more personal way. While such a letter is not legally binding, it does assist those involved in administering your Will, or receiving a benefit under the Will, to follow your guidance.

We can help you with wording for your letter of wishes and discuss how you can make this reflect your own interests and values. It can be changed as often as needed, without you having to review your Will each time. We can store a copy of your letter of wishes, for peace of mind, on file for you here at the University. We recommend you seek legal advice before writing a letter of wishes to ensure that it is suitable for your purposes.