Wills and Bequests
Remembering Your Family of Faith
Your will reflects
who and
what is important to you. Partner with CLFA to ensure that your Catholic faith is remembered in your final statement to the world.
Wills & Bequests
An ordinary item like a few sheets of paper can create an extraordinary legacy that allows you to share forever the inspiring and hopeful message of God’s love. How? Include a gift to or through the Catholic Legacy Foundation of Acadiana (Tax I.D. # 99-4679427) in your will as a bequest. Just as you would provide for your own personal family in your will, you can also provide for your Family of Faith.
Because a will reflects who and what is important to you, doesn’t it make sense that you remember your Catholic Faith in your final statement to the world?
Formalizing a last will and testament is a serious undertaking. Consult your attorney on how best to proceed. If you would like to include gifts to charity, a Family Charitable Legacy Plan offered by the Foundation can provide even more simplicity. Simply name the Catholic Legacy Foundation as your charitable beneficiary in your will. Then contact us with instructions on how to target your bequest at (337) 261-5642 or mtrahan@CLFAinc.org.
To simplify your will-making process, use our free online will-making tool,
Freewill.
What is a Bequest?
A bequest is a provision in your will or trust that designates how you want your assets to be distributed. Bequests can be tailored to suit your intentions, whether by specifying a dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or a specific asset.
Benefits of Including a Bequest in Your Estate Plan
- Flexibility — Bequests are revocable, allowing you to adjust your plans as needed
- Tax Savings — Bequests are exempt from federal estate taxes, potentially reducing your estate's tax burden
- Impactful Giving — Support Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries with a legacy that aligns with your faith and values
- Peace of Mind — Knowing your wishes will be honored and your generosity will continue to make a difference
Types of Bequests
- Specific Bequest — Leave a specific asset or dollar amount to the Foundation
- Percentage Bequest — Designate a percentage of your estate to support Catholic causes
- Residual Bequest — Allocate the remaining balance of your estate after other obligations are met
- Contingent Bequest — Ensure your gift is given to the Foundation only if your primary beneficiaries cannot receive it
- Restricted Bequest — Specify that your gift be used for a particular purpose or for supporting a specific organization or endowment
How It Works
Whether you work with an attorney or use FreeWill, you’re taking an important step toward creating a legacy that reflects your faith and supports Catholic ministries, schools, and parishes and other qualified non-profits for generations to come.
Consult with a Catholic Estate Planning Attorney
Work with a Catholic estate planning attorney to ensure your will or trust aligns with your faith and with Catholic values. A professional can guide you in including a bequest to the Catholic Legacy Foundation of Acadiana. Your attorney can also assist in crafting flexible language for restricted bequests, ensuring your intentions are honored even if circumstances change.
Create Your Free Online Will Using FreeWill
Simplify the process by using FreeWill, an online tool that allows you to create a legally valid will for free.
Visit FreeWill to get started. This user-friendly platform helps you document your wishes and include a bequest to the Catholic Legacy Foundation of Acadiana, Catholic organizations or other Christ-centered non-profits, all at no cost to you.
Create a Family Charitable Legacy Plan
The Foundation can further simplify those gifts you wish to leave to charity by working with you to create a Family Charitable Legacy Plan. Unlike your estate documents, a FCLP is easy to modify and doesn’t require an attorney if you want to change a charitable beneficiary. Work with the staff at the Catholic Legacy Foundation to establish a set of instructions for the distribution of your bequest through us to qualified charities.
Start the Conversation Today
Ready to discuss how to include a bequest in your estate plans?
Phone (337) 261-5642 | Email mtrahan@CLFAinc.org | Contact Us
Disclaimer | The information provided on this website or on Freewill.com’s website does not, and is not intended to constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. NO ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP, OR OTHER SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP, IS CREATED BETWEEN YOU AND THE CATHOLIC LEGACY FOUNDATION OF ACADIANA, INC OR ITS AFFILIATES THROUGH THE USE OF FREEWILL.COM. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on the FreeWill site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between you and the Catholic Legacy Foundation or its employees. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this site are hereby expressly disclaimed.