Your commitment to social justice can last beyond your lifetime. Leaving a gift in your Will to Justice Connect is a profound way to ensure that your desire to make the world a fairer place is realised for friends, family and future generations.
By advising us of your decision to leave Justice Connect a bequest, you will become part of an important community of supporters. You don’t have to tell us of your bequest, but we would love to have the opportunity to thank you!
Whether you are making a new Will or amending an existing one we strongly recommend you seek professional legal advice to ensure your Will complies with current legal requirements and fully reflects your wishes. This document may be given to your legal representative.
You can amend your existing Will to include a bequest to Justice Connect by preparing a signed and witnessed Codicil (an additional page to your Will). Seek professional legal advice when preparing your Codicil to ensure it does not contradict anything already in your Will and is legally binding.
For substantial amendments it is recommended that you make a new Will.
A bequest does not have to be a large amount of money. Financial gifts of all sizes make a significant difference to increasing access to justice for people experiencing disadvantage. There are many ways you can tailor a bequest to suit your personal preferences and circumstances. The most usual types of bequest are:
You can provide for your family and friends first and leave what is left (the residue) to Justice Connect. As your estate increases in value, so does your bequest. A residual bequest helps offset the effect of inflation.
Your estate can be divided among a number of people and/or organisations. You won’t have to remake your Will to compensate for inflation.
Justice Connect can receive all forms of property including shares and can be the sole beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
Establishing a trust in your will allows a spouse or nominated person to use your property and to receive all of the income derived from your estate during their lifetime. The capital can then be passed on to Justice Connect.
A specific cash sum is a common form of bequest but because it doesn’t allow for inflation, it needs to be reviewed regularly.
Choose the type of bequest you would like to leave and use our suggested form of wording for your Will.
To be certain your bequest will reach Justice Connect it is important to:
Justice Connect is a Company Limited by Guarantee, and is eligible to receive tax deductible donations (we hold Deducible Gift Recipient (DGR) and Charity Tax Concession (TCC) certification from the ATO).
When you decide to leave Justice Connect a bequest, a clause can be inserted in your will using the following words:
“I give to Justice Connect (ABN 54 206 789 276) or any successor organisation of PO Box 16013 Melbourne in the State of Victoria, for its general purposes and free from all debts (secured and unsecured) and all duties and taxes (whether federal or state) payable in respect of my estate,
for its general purposes, and I DECLARE that the receipt of an authorised officer of the said Justice Connect shall be a full and sufficient discharge of this bequest.”
Your Will is an important document. Keep your original Will in a safe place such as with your solicitor. Inform your executor of where your Will is kept and keep a confidential copy for yourself for easy review.
Review your Will as your circumstances change. Your personal situation may change with marriage, retirement, births or deaths in the family.
If you are a not-for-profit looking for help with a bequests program, our Not-for-profit Law program has further information about bequests on their website.
If you have any further questions regarding leaving a gift in your will to Justice Connect, please contact:
Emily Malone – Communications and Engagement Manager, Justice Connect
E: Emily.Malone@justiceconnect.org.au
P: +61 3 8636 4476
PO Box 16013
Melbourne VIC 8007