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Your questions answered
Leaving a gift in your Will can bring up some tricky questions. We have compiled some commonly asked questions to help.
Anyone can leave a gift in their Will.
No matter the size, every cent helps with research, preventing cancer and supporting cancer patients and their families.
There are several different ways to leave a gift in your Will.
A residual gift
A residual bequest is a simple way to leave a gift that needn’t interfere with any other specific bequests left to loved ones.
By leaving a residual gift to Cancer Council SA, you are instructing your executor that, once your debts are paid and specific gifts are distributed to loved ones named in your Will, the remainder (or a proportion of the remainder) of your estate will be gifted to Cancer Council SA.
A fixed specific gift
A gift in the form of other property such as real estate, shares, vehicles or items of jewellery.
Whole or part of your estate
You can leave your entire estate or any part of your estate to Cancer Council SA.
A fixed sum of money
Also known as a pecuniary bequest, this gift takes the form of a specific cash amount. Your solicitor can advise you of ways to ensure the gift retains its relative value (for example, by increasing the amount by reference to CPI).
It’s entirely up to you whether you want to specify how your gift is used, or whether you will trust that Cancer Council SA will put it to the best possible use at the time.
Most of our supporters choose to include a gift for ‘general purposes’.
The work of Cancer Council SA is vast and varied. What’s more, it changes over time as community needs shift and new research breakthroughs occur.
Therefore, the more flexibility we have to direct your gifts in the best way possible, the better equipped we are to create a cancer free future.
Some people do choose to direct their gift to a particular type of cancer or other area of personal interest, perhaps because of their own experience with cancer or in tribute to a loved one lost to cancer. These gifts are more than welcomed, and we would be delighted to honour your wishes.
If you have a specific purpose in mind, please feel free to call us on 08 8291 4305 for a confidential chat so we can be sure that your intentions are fully addressed when the time finally comes.
If you’re thinking of making or changing your Will, you’re making an important decision about your values and priorities. We strongly suggest you talk to an expert.
A solicitor can help you draft a Will.
Some people draft their own Wills using kits online or bought from a newsagency or post office.
However, there are certain requirements for a Will to be valid and using a solicitor will make sure you get it right.
Solicitors charge different amounts to draft Wills. Don’t be shy—shop around to make sure you get the best deal.
If you already have a Will, then the most cost-effective way to include a gift to Cancer Council SA is by adding a codicil—a short legal amendment to your Will.
Check with your solicitor if a codicil is appropriate for the updates you wish to make. Adding a codicil could be done via a simple email exchange with your solicitor and then popping into their office to sign the amendment.