Research by wealth management company Charles Stanley provides some interesting insights into British attitudes towards making wills and receiving bequests. Slightly more than two thirds (68%) of UK adults intended to divide their assets evenly among their children, however, 16% said they would not do so, while a further 16% remained undecided. Reasons given for not splitting wealth equally included the differing personal circumstances of children, and how close relations were between parents and children later in life.
The research also revealed the family problems and distress that result when an inheritance is not split equally between children. Roughly half of the baby boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) said they would be upset by an uneven split, and more than a third of all UK adults felt the same.
British people are surprisingly shy about discussing inheritances, with only one in five respondents stating that they had talked openly about the subject with their family. This means that the majority of UK families are failing to plan ahead, which can have a negative financial impact and lead to family disputes that are often only resolved after lengthy and expensive court proceedings.
If a person dies without making a will they will have died intestate, and their estate will be divided according to the rules of intestacy, which are arbitrary and may not reflect the wishes of the deceased. To avoid family conflicts and ensure that the intended beneficiaries receive the correct share of an estate, the testator (the person making a will) should carefully consider their legacy and seek legal advice from a law firm like Bartletts Solicitors.
As the winter draws to a close, two new exhibitions at the Walker Art Gallery and World Museum are set to become highlights of Liverpool’s cultural agenda over the summer months, offering very different but equally mesmerising experiences for visitors.
Many companies nowadays have delivery-only business models which don’t require a high street presence, and instead rely on the rapid, time-limited delivery of orders within a specific area (typically town and city centres). These organisations are often virtual brands taking orders only online and by phone. They may also be so-called dark kitchens, which prepare and deliver food orders to local customers, often on behalf of an established high street brand, or provide order fulfilment services for multiple brands.
Despite the latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) showing that house sales in January fell by 10.6% compared to the same time last year, both average house prices and asking prices continue to hit new heights. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average price of a UK home increased by 10.8% in December 2021 year on year to reach a record £275,000, while Rightmove reported in January that asking prices across the country have reached a new average high of £348,804.
The Little Liverpool gallery at the Museum of Liverpool runs six sessions a day, each lasting around 30 minutes, during which time children under the age of six can play and learn in a unique hands-on fantasy world.
The Highway Code was revamped on Saturday with 50 rules added or updated, mainly focusing on the enhanced protection of cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders. However, lack of awareness of the new rules among millions of motorists is a major issue, with an AA survey of 13,700 drivers earlier this month finding that 33% were unaware of the changes. This combined with doubts about the common sense of some of the new measures has raised concerns that cyclists, pedestrians and other ‘vulnerable’ road users could now actually be more at risk of accidents than under the previous rules.
Next month, Liverpool Cathedral will come to life after dark as it hosts a breathtaking new immersive art installation, ‘Space, The Universe and Everything’, allowing visitors to travel through space, light and time, while pondering our relationship with planet Earth and beyond.
The Aquarium at Liverpool’s renowned World Museum has recently been revamped with bigger tanks, new species, immersive projections and even an octopus called Polpo. Visitors can get up close with Polpo and other sea creatures from all around the world, including hermit crabs, starfish, terrapins and wrasses (brightly-coloured marine fish) from Liverpool’s Irish Sea coast. The terrapins are rescued pets, and can be seen immersed in water through the Aquarium’s viewing bubbles, which allow smaller visitors to get a special close-up view.
At the start of 2022, we’d like to once again highlight the work of Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice in Liverpool, a charity providing various services, including 24 hour support, for families of babies with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses. The Hospice costs £1.6 million to run every year, and relies on donations from the local community and businesses for 80% of its funding.
New Year’s Eve will bear a semblance of normality this year, in England at least, after the government gave mass events the go-ahead and nightclubs permission to open, in contrast with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where restrictions on social gatherings and mass events are in place. Many women will be rushing to book last minute appointments at salons to look their best at parties and family gatherings, and as our solicitors have seen in previous years, an unfortunate number will have their big night ruined by botched hair and beauty treatments.