Your gift will be used where it’s needed most, to support our work with our members, to help us advocate for better support for magistrates, to educate the public about what magistrates do, and to help improve the criminal justice system for everyone.
We know including us in your will is a big decision, and that your family and loved ones come first. But any gift that we receive will make a huge difference.
Gifts left to the MA by members in their wills fund our work to support magistrates and advocate or change in the criminal justice system. They also enable us to provide expert support, advice and guidance to our members and help strengthen the magistracy. It also helps us to reach more people through our outreach Magistrates in the Community programme.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who includes a gift in their will to the Magistrates’ Association.
Frequently answered questions
If you don’t have a will, please consider making one, even if you don’t think that you have many possessions or much money. It’s important because if you die without a will, there are rules which dictate how your money, property or possessions get allocated – and these may not be in the ways that you would like. This is especially important if you have any children, or if you and a partner are unmarried and not in a civil partnership.
The Citizen’s Advice website has a lot of useful information and guidance about making a will, as does the Age UK website. Both explain about making a will, the role of executors and what to do if you lose a loved one. There is also useful information on the UK government website.
If you decide to make a will, please speak to a solicitor, especially if you’d like to leave a legacy gift to the MA in it. They can guide you through the process, as well as any issues in probate law, inheritance tax and capital gains tax that may affect your estate.
The Law Society website has information on how to choose a solicitor, and a ‘Find a Solicitor’ facility that you can use to search its database of over 200,000 legal professionals.
Firstly, thank you for considering leaving us a gift in your will. Gifts that we receive can range from a small amount to the whole of an estate – any legacy gift is gratefully received and goes to help support our work with our members and to help us advocate for better support for magistrates and improve the criminal justice system.
If you’d like to leave a gift to the MA in your will, you can either:
- ask a solicitor to add an amendment (called a codicil) to your current will.
- ask a solicitor to help you draw up a new will to replace your current one.
As a general rule, if the change you wish to make to your will is quite small or simple, you can use a codicil, and if the change is more significant or complex you should make a new will.
It’s important that any gifts you do leave are clear and precise. If you are in any doubt, please ask a solicitor to prepare your will to ensure it is legally correct and that your wishes are fulfilled.
You can leave a gift to a particular area of work, for example membership activities, policy work, or Magistrates in the Community, but the most valuable gifts are not restricted like this. This is because we don’t know exactly what will need funding in five, 10 or 30 years’ time. Leaving your money unrestricted will allow us to put your money to best use, where it is needed the most.
If you want to leave a gift to a specific area of our work, then please get in touch to discuss this with us.
You don’t have to tell us, but we would love to hear from you if you have, so that we can thank you properly. Simply email us at [email protected] to let us know.
SUGGESTED WORDING FOR WILLS
Below is some suggested wording that you can include in your will:
Leaving part of your estate as a gift
“I give to the Magistrates’ Association (Registered Charity No. 216066) of 10A, Flagstaff House, St George Wharf, London, SW8 2LE, all/ fraction / percentage share (of the residue) of my estate, to be used for its general charitable purposes, and I direct that the receipt of the Chief Executive or duly authorised officer shall be a valid and appropriate form of discharge.”
Leaving a specific sum as a gift
“I give to the Magistrates’ Association (Registered Charity No. 216066) of 10A, Flagstaff House, St George Wharf, London, SW8 2LE, the sum of £_____ [amount] to be used for its general charitable purposes and I direct that the receipt of the Chief Executive or duly authorised officer shall be a valid and appropriate form of discharge.”
Leaving a specific item, property or shares as a gift
“I give to the Magistrates’ Association (Registered Charity No. 216066) of 10A, Flagstaff House, St George Wharf, London, SW8 2LE, my [the name and description of item, shares, etc], for its general charitable purposes and I direct that the receipt of the Chief Executive or duly authorised officer shall be a valid and appropriate form of discharge.”
Judy’s gift to the MA
Dr Judy Hultgren JP sadly passed away in February 2024. She’d worked in the computer services industry in London before moving to Cornwall, setting up her own garden design business and becoming a magistrate. Her branch said: “Judy was a wonderful magistrate and person, always giving time to mentor new JPs and support existing members of the bench.”
Judy was an active member of the MA, having served on the adult court committee (ACC) and its forerunner. She was also chair of the board of trustees for CASS+, a Devon and Cornwall charity set up to support people through the criminal justice system and into life beyond. The MA and the magistracy are the poorer for her passing.
Judy kindly left a legacy to the MA in her will.
Please consider leaving us a gift too. Thank you.