The issue of how assets are distributed after death is of increasing significance for larger numbers of people. In this original and path-breaking study, the authors examine the principle means through which people plan to dispose of their assets after death: by the use of wills. By offering an empirical study of 800 English wills, the book identifies significant patterns of bequeathing among a cross-section of the population, and not just among those sections of society whno enjoy substantial wealth. This leads us to focus upon what wills tell us about the family and kin relationships, and...

The book is based on two research projects on emergency intervention, which were carried out by the author and her colleagues. The studies provide the basis for the three themes in the book: Inter-agency Working; Perceptions of Safety; and Placement and Resource Issues. The combination of quantitative and qualitative research allows a detailed picture of practice that goes beyond an account of what happens, to explore the perceptions, understandings and experiences of the practitioners who make these decisions, as social workers, police officers magistrates' legal advisers or magistrates, and...

The system of representation where children and young people are provided with both a social work guardian ad litem and a specialist solicitor is widely regarded as a model of excellence. However, until now, information about the system and its advantages has tended to neglect the views and experiences of the children concerned. Based on a unique research study, Out of Hearing investigates the representation service from the child s perspective. Observations of representatives meetings with their child clients and separate interviews with the children and their representatives paint a...