Is 16 too young to get married?
Historically, young people from England and Wales ran away to Gretna Green to get married because, in contrast to England and Wales, 16 and…
Showing 106 articles
Would you choose a Civil Partnership?
For the first time in Scotland, mixed sex couples will have the opportunity to enter civil partnerships. The Civil Partnership Act 2004,…
Review of Scottish Cohabitation Laws
The number of couples cohabiting in the United Kingdom has seen a marked increase in the last decade.
In Scotland, the legal framework…
Vaccines and Children
It was recently announced that over half the Scottish population have received their first dose of a Covid 19 vaccine. This is an…
New Opt-out Scheme of Organ Donation comes into force today
The law around organ and tissue donation in Scotland changes on 26 March 2021 to an opt-out system, which is hoped will lead to an increase…
The Reality of Surrogacy in Scotland
Surrogacy in the UK is steadily becoming more and more common. In 2011 only 121 parental orders were made compared with 368 in 2018. The…
White dress? Check. Veil? Check. Shoes? Check. Pre-nup? Wait, what?
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott has married science teacher Dan Jewett.
Ms Scott, who is worth around $53 billion according to Forbes’ most…
Child Contact Centres & Covid19
The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted lives across the nation in a myriad of ways. For many, a silver lining of repetitive lockdowns is…
What does the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 mean for grandparents?
My colleague Eildh Conacher recently provided an overview of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, but what does it mean in practice?
The…
Children (Scotland) Act 2020; what will the new legislation mean for children in Scotland.
Recently, MSPs unanimously passed the Children (Scotland) Bill. The bill, which aims to encourage the expression and inclusion of children…
Christmas Reunions
The Festive Period can be a difficult time for separated parents. Unless Christmas contact has previously been arranged, either by way of a…
White Ribbon Day
25 November is White Ribbon Day, also known as International Day for the eradication of violence against women. As the world continues to…
#AdoptionWeekScotland
This week (16-20 November) is Adoption Week Scotland 2020. Local authorities, adoption agencies, charities and individuals are coming…
Scotland’s smacking ban comes into force
Last year, the Scottish Government confirmed that the smacking of children was to be banned in Scotland, following evidence which showed…
Eight trainees secure permanent positions with Thorntons
Full service Scottish law firm Thorntons has welcomed eight newly qualified solicitors across four of its offices following a two year…
Childcare, Child Contact and Residence - new Coronavirus measures.
Yesterday, the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced new measures to combat the increase in coronavirus cases.
Available guidance is…
Knowing Who You Are: Why establishing paternity is important
It has recently been reported that a Ms Delphine Boel has taken a case to the Belgian Appeal Court to determine whether she should have the…
Coronavirus: Registration of Births, Deaths & Marriages
As the lockdown restrictions lift, we see a number of public services recommencing from 29 June 2020 and this includes the registration of…
Not the Time for Cutting Corners
Coronavirus has brought such financial uncertainty. Legal costs may be seen as a luxury rather than a necessity and there can be ample…
When staying home is unsafe: Domestic Abuse in Lockdown
Lockdown has exacerbated the sense of isolation for many families whose lives are affected by domestic abuse. Victims of abuse are often…
The Nest – Fact or Fiction?
Over 5 million people tuned in to watch the series finale of the recent BBC drama, “The Nest”. The series follows the life of a married…