Civil Partnership or Marriage? The law explained.
Our recent blog post showing the evolution of rights for the LGBTQ+ community concluded in 2020 with the enactment of the Civil Partnership…
Family Law
Family Law: A timeline on LGBTQ+ Rights in Scotland
Pride month, which takes place annually in June, celebrates LGBTQ+ communities worldwide, and commemorates the previous struggles and…
Collaborative Divorce - a Happy Ending
Believe it or not, it is possible for a couple to go through the divorce process without having a “fall out” and ending on bad terms.
If…
Why it doesn’t pay to delay discussions about divorce
D-Day, in family law, is the first Monday back after the festive period when divorce lawyers are traditionally inundated with calls.
For…
Changes to Cohabitation Law recommended by the Scottish Law Commission
In Scotland, cohabiting couples have certain rights under the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006, when their relationship ends. Scotland takes…
White Ribbon Day: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
25 November is White Ribbon Day, also known as International Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women.
The murders of Sarah…
Separation and Divorce during the cost of living crisis
As the cost of living crisis continues to affect people’s day to day lives, with high levels of inflation and increasing energy bills, what…
Resolving Disputes: Take Control or Hand It Over?
Not everything ends up in court. There is more than one way to resolve disputes. Certainly, some methods may be more of a blunt instrument…
No Longer “ Just a Domestic”
A recent Report “The Sentencing of Offences Involving Domestic Abuse in Scotland” gives very helpful insight into the approach the criminal…
New accreditations signify breadth of expertise at Thorntons
Six lawyers at full-service law firm Thorntons have obtained specialist accreditations from the Law Society of Scotland.
Kirsty Stewart,…
Can I change my child's name?
A child’s name is registered on their birth certificate with their surname usually being that of their father. However, divorce or…
Sun, Sea and Separation; avoiding holiday headaches
School holidays are approaching and with that comes the hope and expectation of many families that they will be able to take a holiday; but…
Keeping Up With the Blended Family
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker have recently tied the knot for the third time and the Kardashian clan has seen itself welcome not…
'No Fault' Divorce Laws
You may have read that new divorce laws came into force this month, which make it easier to get a divorce and allows couple to end their…
Marriage v. Cohabitation in Scotland
There is a sometimes a belief in Scotland that common law marriage exists and gives cohabiting couples the same legal rights as married…
UK Says No More
From 7 – 13 March 2022 the national campaign ‘UK Says No More’, will take place. The campaign aims to raise awareness to end domestic abuse…
Pre-Nups: A Proposal of Growing Popularity
Celebrities' relationships are known to end as quickly as they begin, which explains why many lawyers advise that they enter into an iron-…
Virtual Courts for Domestic Abuse Cases
Figures recently published by the Scottish Police Authority’s Quarterly Policing Performance Report indicate that in the last year there…
The Age of Criminal Responsibility in Scotland
The age of criminal responsibility in Scotland has faced a lot of controversy over the years. In theory, a legislative change from 2019,…
Another Thorntons family law specialist accredited by Law Society
Leading Scottish law firm Thorntons has increased its breadth of expertise in family law after another one of its lawyers was recognised as…
Challenge Economic Abuse | Challenge Poverty Week
Sadly for many, physical separation from an abusive partner does not always mean an end to the abuse. It can take enormous resolve to end…