From The Lawyer's  Desk

Maximising Your Quest For A Bequest Listing

As a practising lawyer I can tell you that time, for most lawyers, is at a premium. The easier you can make a lawyer’s life, the better for you. I would suggest that you have your own charity lawyer prepare a sample bequest clause (or clauses) which represent your preferred option. In general, there are four options but you do not need to include all of them. See our separate commentary on the pros and cons of each option.

1. A preference for a percentage of the person’s estate (the most flexible option for you!)
2. Acceptance of a fixed amount (unfortunately this doesn’t grow with inflation)
3. Residue or remainder of the estate, after all costs or bequests have been paid out (ensures that family members are taken care of first)
4. Acceptance of personal property such as art works or collectibles (might be hard to manage if you have limited resources)
5. You will also express your preference for how the bequest should be receipted.

This wording should be included in the “preferred bequest wording” box on your listing.

Notes Section

If the bequest is to be used for some specific purpose or is confined to a specific geographic region, this can be clarified in the notes section. If there are multiple charities under your umbrella, explain the structure and how your organisation works. If you have specific projects that would benefit from a bequest, include them here. I recommend brevity, simplicity and clarity. However you are not restricted to a certain number of words in the notes section so make the most of it.

Hyperlink

Include a hyperlink to your website, bequest pages. If you want to show a bequest brochure, or provide more pictorial information, this is the place to include it.

Using the page counter

If you are planning a bequest campaign, take note of the page counter and watch its progress over the course of your campaign. It won’t be an accurate representation of how many lawyers are looking at it, but it will give you a general idea of whether people are viewing your listing.

Further promotions

Include our link (www.questforabequest.co.nz) in your own promotional material and on your website. This will be especially useful because the page counter will allow you to see whether there have been any visitors to your listing. You can update or edit your site at any time to take account of changes in structure or mission.