THE thought of writing a will can fill many with dread. First it makes us question our own mortality, then there's the headache of having one drawn up.

But by not making a will you could leave your family open to years of legal wrangling and poverty, according to Worcester law firm Harrison Clark.

In fact, two out of three people don't make a will and according to the latest statistics, more women are left penniless due to intestacy rather than divorce.

"There are many reasons which prompt people to write a will," said Dawn Oliver, spokeswoman for Harrison Clark.

"They may have lost someone in the family or be about to jet off for the weekend with their partner and realise they have not arranged who would care for the children or their finances if anything happened.

"It is one of the certainties in life that we are all going to die.

"We hope it will be later rather than sooner, but it is sensible to have your will sorted out.

"Most of us want to make sure that when we die our family and friends come first and are financially secure but if you don't make a will your estate may not pass to the people you want it to.

"The Asian tsunami disaster for instance is something none of the holiday-makers who were tragically killed could have foreseen, but it is likely many of them did not leave a will."

Communications manager Helen Griffee and her 43-year-old television worker husband Andy recently made their will to secure the future for their children, Will, aged 13 and Ella, 10. "I suddenly realised I was going off on a long weekend to New York with my husband without the children and we had not made a will," said the 39-year-old, of Shelsley Kings, in Teme Valley, near Great Witley. "We had that awful thought about who would look after the children if anything happened.

"It was too late then to do anything, but on our return we wrote our wills so we wouldn't be in that position again."

Thousands of leaflets will be dropping onto doormats in Worcestershire over the next week, reminding residents that June is Write a Will Month in aid of charity St Richard's Hospice.

The hospice, in Rose Hill, Worcester, provides care and support for people with life-threatening illnesses. Now solicitors from across the county are offering to write a simple will during June for as little as £45 for a single or £60 for a double, with all fees being donated to St Richard's. The charity has been running the Write A Will scheme for the last two years and participating solicitors have donated around £15,000 in fees for the wills they have written.

It is also a time when writing a will to think about leaving a legacy to charity, said the hospice's director of fund-raising, Marilyn Peachey.

"All our services are free to patients and their families but we depend on donations and legacies from generous supporters to keep the hospice running," she said.

"The hospice currently costs nearly £2m a year, a figure that will rise when our new hospice with 15 specialist beds opens to patients next year.

"We very much hope that local people will use the Write a Will month to leave a legacy to St Richard's, however large of small, but there is no obligation to do so.

"If you have already made a will, it's very simple to add a small codicil to leave a specific amount to the hospice.

"We are very grateful to anyone who takes part in Write a Will month, and also to all the solicitors who are giving their time for free to help the hospice.

"Simply phone to make an appointment - it's something you've always meant to do."

Solicitors taking part are:

Harrison Clark, 5 Deansway, Worcester, 01905 612001.

Hallmarks Solicitors, 4 & 5 Sansome Place, Worcester, 01905 726600.

Evans & Webb, Sterling Lodge, 287 Worcester Road, Malvern, 01684 562526.

Atter Mackenzie & Co, 64 Bridge Street, Evesham, 01386 425300.