--- title: "Will Aid Runs All November: Write Your Will for a Charity Donation and Name a Guardian for Your Children" description: Will Aid 2026 runs through November. The suggested donations, how to book a solicitor and why fathers of young children need a will. author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-11-09T18:58:30.121Z updated: 2026-11-09T18:58:30.135Z canonical: https://richdadmagazine.com/article/will-aid-2026-make-your-will-name-a-guardian image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-6393154.webp categories: Money & Legacy, Fatherhood content_type: Guide region: United Kingdom publication: Rich Dad Magazine schema_type: Article --- Every November, solicitors across the UK write basic wills without charging their usual fee. Through [Will Aid](https://www.willaid.org.uk/), they invite you to make a voluntary donation to charity instead. The suggested donation is £120 for a single basic will and £200 for a pair of basic mirror wills, the matching wills that couples often make together. Will Aid 2026 is open for bookings now, and anyone aged 18 or over can take part. If you have young children and no will, November gives you a straightforward way to put that right, and the money you pay goes to charity. ## Why Fathers With Young Children Need a Will A will does more than pass on money. It lets you name the person who would raise your children if you and their mother both died. Without one, there is no written record of your wishes for them. Three situations catch many fathers out. **You are not married to your children's mother.** Unmarried partners cannot inherit from each other unless there is a will, however long you have lived together and whether or not you have children. Without a will, your partner has no automatic right to your share of the home or savings you built together. **You are married, and your estate is larger than you think.** In England and Wales, if you die without a will and leave a wife or husband and children, your spouse receives your personal possessions, the first £322,000 of your estate and half of whatever remains. The other half goes to your children and is held for them until they turn 18. Once you count the family home and your savings, many estates pass that threshold, which can leave your children owning part of the house your spouse still lives in. **Your children are under 18.** A will lets you name guardians for them. It can also set the age at which your children receive money, instead of the default of 18, although a trust of that kind may fall outside a basic will. ## How Will Aid Works Find a participating solicitor through the [Will Aid search page](https://www.willaid.org.uk/lookup), book an appointment and make your donation. The solicitor writes a basic will. Anything beyond a basic will, such as a trust or advice on a business, can be charged separately, so tell the solicitor what you need when you book and ask what it will cost. The money raised is shared between eight charities: Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Crisis, NSPCC, Shelter, SCIAF and Trócaire. Will Aid runs across the UK, though the law on wills and inheritance in Scotland and Northern Ireland differs from the law in England and Wales. Appointments fill up as the month goes on, so book this week if you can. ## What to Decide Before Your Appointment Your appointment goes faster if you arrive with the main decisions made. - **A guardian for your children.** Ask the person first, and name a reserve in case your first choice cannot take on the role. - **Your executors.** These are the people who sort out your estate and carry out your wishes. You can name your partner alongside a trusted friend or relative. - **Your beneficiaries.** Decide who receives what, and who inherits if one of them dies before you. - **A list of what you own.** Note your home, savings, investments, pensions and life insurance. Ask the solicitor how your pension and life insurance will pass on, as these can be handled outside your will. ## How to Make Sure Your Will Is Legal For a will to be valid in England and Wales, you must be 18 or over, make it of your own free will, have the mental capacity to make it and put it in writing. You sign it in front of two witnesses aged over 18, who then sign it in front of you. You cannot leave anything to your witnesses or to their married partners. A Will Aid solicitor takes care of all of this for you. Review your will after any big change in your family, such as a new baby. You can make a formal change called a codicil or write a new will, and either one has to be signed and witnessed in the same way. The [GOV.UK guide to making a will](https://www.gov.uk/make-will) sets out the rules in full. For more on the money side of family life, read what changes [when you become a father after 40](https://richdadmagazine.com/article/becoming-a-father-after-40) and the [money lessons your children can learn this Christmas](https://richdadmagazine.com/article/teaching-children-about-money-at-christmas). ## Will Aid Questions **Q: How much is the Will Aid donation?** Will Aid suggests a voluntary donation of £120 for a single basic will and £200 for a pair of basic mirror wills. The donation replaces the solicitor's usual fee for a basic will and goes to the scheme's partner charities. Work beyond a basic will may be charged separately. **Q: How do I find Will Aid solicitors near me?** The Will Aid website has a search page where you enter your postcode to see the participating solicitors in your area. You then contact a solicitor directly to book an appointment during November. **Q: Does Will Aid run in Scotland?** Yes. Will Aid runs across the UK, including Scotland, where Scottish solicitors take part and SCIAF is one of the partner charities. Scottish law on wills and inheritance differs from the law in England and Wales, so a Scottish solicitor writes your will under Scottish rules. **Q: When is Will Aid month?** Will Aid runs every November. Participating solicitors write basic wills throughout the month in return for a voluntary donation to charity, and appointments can fill up early.