Financial Provision on Divorce in Scotland: How Are Assets Divided?
When a marriage ends in Scotland, dividing the couple’s finances is often as significant as the divorce itself. Financial provision on divorce in Scotland is governed by the Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985, which is built around the principle of fair sharing of...
When Should You Update Your Will? Life Events That Make a Review Essential
Making a Will is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your family, but it is not a task you complete once and forget. A Will reflects your life at a single moment, and life rarely stands still. Marriage, divorce, a new child, a house move or the...
Buying Your First Home in Scotland: A Step-by-Step Legal Guide
Buying your first home in Scotland means navigating a process that works quite differently from the rest of the UK. From the Home Report and noting interest to missives, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and the all-important date of entry, the steps are unfamiliar...
Challenging a Will in Scotland: Lessons from a Glasgow Court Ruling
A Glasgow Sheriff has reduced a homemade Will after finding that the deceased’s daughter had procured it from her dementia-affected mother through facility and circumvention. The case is a stark reminder that DIY Wills, particularly those involving elderly or...
Cohabitation Agreements in Scotland: Legal Protection for Couples Who Aren’t Married
Scotland’s cohabitation laws are among the most progressive in the UK, but they still fall well short of the rights enjoyed by married couples. If you live with your partner without being married or in a civil partnership, the law gives you only limited...
Powers of Attorney in Scotland: Why You Shouldn’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
A Power of Attorney in Scotland is one of the most important legal documents you will ever sign, yet most people put it off until it is too late. Once mental capacity is lost, a Power of Attorney can no longer be granted, leaving the family with the slower, more...
Child Contact and Residence Arrangements After Separation in Scotland
When parents separate, decisions about where children will live and how they will spend time with each parent are among the most important, and most emotive, that any family can face. Scots law places the welfare of the child at the heart of every such decision and...
What Happens If You Die Without a Will in Scotland?
If you die without a valid Will in Scotland, you lose all say in what happens to your estate. The law steps in and distributes your assets according to a fixed set of rules under the Succession (Scotland) Act 1964, rules that may bear no resemblance to your wishes,...
