England’s success in the World Cup has sparked renewed interest in all things football. That has sent the cost of memorabilia soaring – meaning it’s more important than ever to make sure you include treasured sporting items in your will.
Michelle Monnes Thomas, from our Wills, Probate and Lifetime Planning team, explains why.
Rummage around in the attics of England and you’re sure to find plenty of long-forgotten football memorabilia. But with England defying the odds to reach the last stages of the current World Cup, the value of anything related to the national team is sure to soar.
Conservative estimates suggest that should the shirt worn by Sir Geoff Hurst when England triumphed in 1966 ever go up for sale, it would fetch more than £500,000.
Even a relatively humble replica of the shirt England wore at the 1986 finals in Mexico sold for £450 recently.
There is real value in this memorabilia but all too often it gets overlooked when we come to sort out our affairs. Now is the perfect time to think about what you might have and what provisions you might want to make for it in your will.
A will is the only way of making sure your savings and possessions – known as your estate – go to the people and the organisations you care the most about.
Yet some estimates suggest more than half the population has not yet made a will, or has one that is outdated and not legally enforceable.
By making a will, you can gift your memorabilia to those people you choose and be confident your wishes will be met. Not only does this protect your assets for future generations it also avoids any unpleasant family disputes.
That means you get the peace of mind of knowing your affairs are in order, and your nearest and dearest avoid the stress of any potential quarrels over who gets what in the future.
Just like England, it’s a winning combination.
