Over time families change and evolve. One example of this is when a parent forms a new relationship after separating from their child’s other parent. This results in different types of family structures which are referred to as blended families.
[Read more…] about Some Tips To Help Make Your Blended Family Work
With many parents and children living in blended families, a question that will often arise is whether legal steps should be taken by a step parent to adopt the child of their partner/spouse or civil partner. [Read more…] about Step Parent Adoption
Senior Associate Morven Douglas looks at a recent case that allowed the appeal of a mother who had wrongfully removed her daughter from Poland to Scotland, and what this means for future child abduction decisions. [Read more…] about Child Abduction and Children’s Views
Last week the Scottish Parliament unanimously passed the Children (Scotland) Bill. The Bill will now become law, bringing with it some of the most significant changes to the family court system in almost 15 years. [Read more…] about Everything you need to know about the new Children (Scotland) Bill
New guidance was issued at the end of last week regarding compliance with court orders relating to Parental Rights and Responsibilities (PRRs). [Read more…] about COVID-19 and Updated Guidance on Child Contact
The case of Mr and Mrs Villiers has reached a conclusion this week in the Supreme Court, with Mrs Villiers ultimately victorious as Mr Villiers failed to win his appeal. For the implications of this to be clear, it is helpful to look at all of the facts of the case in the first instance. [Read more…] about Villiers v Villiers – a clear decision issued, but for how long?
When The Family Law Scotland Act 2006 came into force it abolished the ability for couples to begin to establish marriage by way of cohabitation with habit and repute. Despite that being some 14 years ago I still, every so often, come across someone who believes that they have a “common law marriage.”
I don’t want to mention the “C” word. However, the reality is that I have to. Coming into week 5 (I think?!) of lockdown the impact of the virus is becoming abundantly clear. The immediate implications including domestic abuse, surrogacy, compliance with court orders and maintenance orders have all been covered by my colleagues. My thoughts now turn to settlement of financial claims.
Our parks, schools, restaurants and workplaces are amongst the long list of places closing following the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19. As we are advised to remain in our homes to protect our health, this can increase the risk of harm to those suffering from domestic abuse. The serious nature of being required to remain at home with a domestic abuse perpetrator cannot be underestimated.
[Read more…] about COVID-19 and the implications for domestic abuse households
There is unlikely to be a single element of our everyday lives which is not touched by Coronavirus. For most, that means sheltering in one place and only travelling for essentials such as food, medicine and to care for vulnerable people. The impact on international travel is one of the most severely impacted sectors, causing chaos for intended parents currently in the middle of an international surrogacy arrangement.
[Read more…] about COVID-19 Implications for International Surrogacy Arrangements
