The Government’s Good Work Plan
Building upon its response to the Taylor Review in February 2018 and the consultations which were launched at that time, the government…
New budget proposal impacts on homeowners
In the latest Budget proposals the Scottish Government included a proposal to raise the additional dwelling supplement (ADS) rate from 3%…
Scotland’s New Domestic Abuse Legislation
Domestic abuse can describe a multitude of behaviour, from physical violence to exercising total control over a partner’s everyday life.…
How grandparents can help grandchildren with nursery, school or higher education costs in a tax efficient way
Having a family can be costly, so preparing early for future educational costs should be carefully considered. Recent statistics estimate…
Retail: a tough shift for workers at Christmas
A career in retail on the UK’s high streets seems a pretty hazardous affair at the moment.
According to a recent study carried out…
The use of Personal Injury Trusts
Trusts can have a variety of uses and benefits and are not just for the wealthy. If you are receiving a sizeable sum of compensation…
The Future of Civil Partnerships in Scotland
Civil partnerships have featured heavily in the news recently as their future has been called into question by a recent Supreme Court…
“Bang out of order” – Managing Firework Safety
In 2016-2017, nearly 21 million attendances were recorded at Accident and Emergency departments throughout the NHS. Of these, over 5,…
Loot boxes in the line of fire
In computer gaming a loot box is essentially an in-game virtual lottery. A box is purchased by a player with real money. …
Is the use of Confidentiality Agreements on the rise?
Confidentiality agreements are pretty topical all of a sudden. Juventus footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is the subject of…
Spectator Sports and public safety
At the end of September the Ryder Cup took place in Paris. Aside from Europe’s success the news has been full of an incident which occurred…
Agricultural insurable risks and legal expenses cover.
I recently concluded a court action relating to glyphosate contamination of potatoes where, amongst other things, the issue of insurance…
Lower drink driving limit = less accidents in Scotland?
In December 2014, the drink driving limit in Scotland was lowered to 50mg per 100ml of blood breaking away from the 80mg limit which…
The Acceleration of Voluntary Registration of Title
Most rural landowners in Scotland will already be well aware of the Scottish Government’s target to complete the registration of title for…
New Pilot Scheme to Bring 2500 Seasonal Workers to UK Farms
On Thursday 6 September, the UK Government Home Secretary and Environment Secretary announced a nationwide pilot scheme to bring seasonal…
Controversial European Copyright Directive Given the Vote of Approval
Changes to European copyright laws could significantly affect how news is presented to us online. On 12 September the European Parliament…
Phrases used in contract negotiations and what they mean.
Following my blog last week - What to look out for in contract negotiations, I have some further reflections on points that are often…
Why is having a Will so important?
As the sad news was unfolding of the death of Aretha Franklin, the private client solicitor in me did wonder might there be further…
Compulsory Purchase: what happens when land is surplus to requirements?
Compulsory Purchase is the legal process which allows, in some circumstances, privately owned property to be purchased for public use from…
What to look out for in contract negotiations
I thought I’d do a series of blogs with some reflections on points that are often made in contract negotiations. They come up quite a…
Cryptocurrency - Inheritance of my ‘Wallet’
Scotland has its own digital currency (the Scotcoin – which was launched back in 2013), and given the increasing awareness and use of…