Cy-pres applications

Cy-pres applications (or ‘near to’) allow the wishes of a donor to a charity to be carried out even when the original purpose of the gift has failed. It is a requirement when making a cy-press application that the new purpose of the gift should be as close as possible to the original purpose.

It is noted that the principle of cy-près can only be applied to charitable dispositions and, therefore the purpose of the institution to which the disposition has been made must be charitable.

We can assist charities with making cy-pres application to ensure that gifts made to them in Wills go to the charities even if the gifts have lost their original purpose as long as their new purpose is very close to the original one.

We are always happy to talk on an initial no obligation and informal basis so please email or call one of the team.