Legacy management and disputes

Without legacies many charities simply could not survive. Legacies often represent the life blood of any charity. On occasion however problems can arise in respect of legacies that require urgent specialised legal advice. Whatever the problem we will help to resolve it.

The following represent examples of when we can help:

• Claims can be brought challenging the validity of the will or the way in which the will seeks to distributes an estate. A spouse may claim that a will does not leave sufficient provision. What position should the charity adopt in those circumstances?
• A will may fail to properly describe which charity a legacy should be gifted to. This can lead to competing claims by 2 or more charities.
• A legacy may be gifted in such a way that it can only be used in very restricted ways making it difficult for the charity to accept.
• Disappointed relatives who expected a share of an estate (but may have no valid claim) may nevertheless contact the charity and seek to present a 'hard luck' story. The response to such approaches must also take into account inevitable public relation issues and how best to manage these for the benefit of the charity.
• Disputes within the charity as to how the funds should best be used if a local branch was gifted the legacy and the local treasurer seeks to control the way in which funds may be used.
• We offer trustee training to help charities comply with the new accounting and reporting practices (SORP) from the Charities Commission.