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…
Family Law
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’…
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…
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…
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…
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
These are worrying economic times and many individuals and families will be finding this year tougher than the last. Legal costs may be…
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…
Business as usual?
Lots of law firms who provide Family Law advice are blogging and tweeting about it being “business as usual”. Practically, our team…
Guidance on Contact and Residence Matters during Coronavirus Outbreak.
Following on from our two recent Blogs regarding shared care of children during the Coronavirus crisis, The Lord President, the most senior…
Coronavirus: Latest Government advice for parents sharing care.
Only a few days after posting our previous Blog, "Coronavirus poses dilemma for parents sharing care", last night’s Government announcement…
Coronavirus poses dilemma for parents sharing care
Across the globe, we are facing unprecedented and extremely challenging times in tackling the outbreak of Coronavirus (Covid – 19). Of…
Thorntons contribute to Cohabitation Law in Scotland review
A review of family law is presently being undertaken by the Scottish Law Commission’s Family Law Team, following the appointment of Kate…