More than 40 Northern Ireland solicitors will waive their will-making fees in March in return for a donation to NI Hospice.

During Make a Will Month, taking place from 1-31 March 2016, participating solicitors will not charge for their will-making service and will instead invite their clients to make a donation to the Hospice.

Sharon Gorman, legacy officer for Northern Ireland Hospice, told Irish Legal News that the solicitors “have been very supportive” of the initiative, which is now in its fourth year.

A full list of participating solicitors has been published on the NI Hospice website.

Solicitors who are interested in participating can do so by contacting Ms Gorman on 028 9078 1836 or at sharon.gorman@nihospice.org.

Ms Gorman said: “Amazingly, two-thirds of people in Northern Ireland do not have a will. What we are aiming to do is highlight to people the importance of making a will and also keeping it up to date.

“Having a will not only gives a person peace of mind that their wishes will be carried out, it can also save family and loved ones a lot of heartache and stress at what is a difficult enough time.

“Many people also consider charity when making a will and Northern Ireland Hospice has benefitted from people’s legacies and generosity. Indeed, in 2015 one-in-five of our patients was cared for thanks to a gifts in wills.”