The number of disgruntled former partners taking legal action for a second time against former partners has more than doubled in the last few years.

Despite having one of the best female employment records in Europe, gender inequality is still proving to be a major issue in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The number of reforms has almost doubled in the last year despite reforms to try and cap the number of tribunals. Despite an initial decrease in the number of cases, the numbers have since rebounded.

The UK Government have warned that they will change the strike law in the UK in order to prevent strikes with a minimal turnout from unions.

According to an investigation by the BBC only ten of Scotland’s 50 biggest employers are actually paying workers the living wage.

A vicar has lost his appeal to bring an unfair dismissal appeal against the Church of England after a court ruled that he was employed by God.

According to the Registers of Scotland, property prices across the country rose sharply between January and March in 2014.

According to property experts rural homeowners are attempting to reclassify their homes in order to make their properties more appealing to could-be-buyers.

A new law that grants Sikhs permission to wear their turban in all workplaces has come into force in the UK.

An open letter signed by more than 400 barristers and 40 QCs has condemned the government for increasing the fees of employment tribunals.

The University of Aberdeen is to offer at least 150 members of staff offers of early retirement in a bid to reduce costs by £10.5 million in the next few months.

The national minimum wage has increased to £6.70, the biggest real term rise in seven years.

An ex-wife has taken legal action against her former husband 18 years after their divorce. Kathleen Wyatt took legal action against her former husband Dale Vince, who is the founder of wind-power firm Ecotricity, with the business tycoon estimated to be worth around £107 million.

Property in Scotland have increased at a significantly slower rate than the rest of the UK in the last four years according to a survey from Your Move.

According to a report from the Scottish Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) numerous Scots are facing unfair and difficult employment conditions.

16 and 17 year-olds are the most likely to be abused, but are given the least protection according to The Children’s Society.

The value of Scottish properties rose by over 3% in the first period of 2015, continuing on the growth seen in the previous year. The growth was similar to that seen at the end of 2014 according to official statistics.

Sports Direct is facing a multi million pound claim from 300 employees after they were excluded from a bonus scheme offered by the company due to their zero-hour contract status.

A quarter of all home buyers are willing to pay extra to have a faster conveyancing experience, with figures from a national survey suggesting that conveyancing is considered one of the most stressful experience about buying a property.

The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax proposed by the Scottish Government is to be reviewed following an amendment to the UK stamp duty.

According to a report from the Bank of Scotland, the Scottish economy is set to have a successful 2015, following a productive 2015, albeit at a slower rate. The report also had positive news for those seeking and in employment, with employment rising at one of the fastest rates in 17 years.

Scotland’s prime property market is experiencing a boom before the alternative to Stamp Duty comes into effect in April.

We would like to wish all our clients a very Merry Christmas.

Under new legislation, existing civil partnerships will be able to convert their partnership to marriage on December 10th in England, and at the start of 2015 in Scotland.

An expert has blamed the referendum and proposed land reforms for buyers and sellers holding back on buying properties and estates in Scotland.

A pilot scheme that allows people to see if their partner has a history of domestic abuse has been launched in Aberdeen and Ayrshire in an attempt to tackle domestic violence in Scotland.

Two thirds of new fully employed workers are earning below the living wage according to research conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The Scottish job economy has been bolstered by an increase in employment and a rise in salaries in the last 5 months according to the Bank of Scotland Report on jobs.

Research from The Herald Scotland has shown that companies are bracing themselves for a landslide of claims regarding holiday pay following a ruling by the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

An oil employer of 25 years has been awarded over £30,000 after it was deemed he was dismissed unfairly by Scotoil Services.

“No reasonable grounds”

David Williamson, 25, was fired for apparent harassment of staff. However an employment tribunal found that the Aberdeen based firm had “no reasonable grounds” for his dismissal. The judge also found that Scotoil had failed to thoroughly investigate complaints made by two employees that a Polish contract worker was unable to follow safety instructions when it came to cleaning high pressured equipment. 

Judge McFatridge said the firm had “failed to distinguish” between “legitimate comment” and alleged “racially motivated bullying and harassment” branding investigation and subsequent  dismissal as unfocused and unfair.

Employment Law Advice and Assistance in Scotland 

For specialist legal advice in relation to employment law contact Watersrule Solicitors.

The recent European Court of Justice decision in May in the case of Lock v British Gas has established that staff who receive part of their earnings in commission should have this taken into account when holiday pay is calculated, not merely basic pay.

Failure to meet your legal responsibilities may lead to your disqualification as a director of your company. This can have significant and long-terms negative effects on both your personal and professional life.

The Scottish Government has published details of the new Scottish Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), which it says will benefit first-time buyers and those at the lower end of the housing market.

From 1^st October 2014 a new provision in the Equality Act 2010 (Section 139A) gives Employment Tribunals additional powers to compel employers to conduct equal pay audits where they have been held to have breached equal pay laws or to have discriminated because of sex in non-contractual pay, unless one of the exceptions in the Equality Act 2010 (Equal Pay Audits) Regulations 2014 apply, such as discretionary bonuses.

The National association of Estate agents has provided some insight on how the “No” vote will affect the property market in Scotland. The Managing Director of National Association of Estate Agents, Mark Hayward said:

Demand for new homes in Scotland has bucked the UK trend, according to the latest RICS Residential Market Survey, with a net balance of 52% more surveyors seeing a rise in new buyer demand.

In recent months, some prospective property buyers have been making their purchases subject to the outcome of the referendum- these provisons are becoming more common as September 18th draws closer, and with the narrowing outcome margins.

When they have a greivence in the workplace, over one in ten employees prefer to negotiate a compromise agreement with their employer rather than go to an employment tribunal.

A UK equity and debt crowdfunding platform called “Funding Tree” has been launched this week. The platform seeks to support small and medium-sized businesses through “every stage of their life cycle”, from seed capital to Series A and B rounds.

A claimant cannot bring a decision under judicial review unless they have exhausted all alternative remedies – even if these remedies are non-statutory says Court of Session Judge.

The RICS led an independent Scottish Housing Commission which has published its proposals to improve Scotland’s housing market.

A preliminary EU court ruling has determined that severe obesity in the future may be classified as a disability under EU law.

A ruling of the European Court of Justice could mean back-dated payouts for thousands of workers across Scotland. The judgment allows employees throughout the UK to claim holiday pay for regular overtime, commission and shift allowances.

According to the latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey, house price gains in June remained positive across Scotland, and demand for property continued to grow across the country.



The No To Named Persons (NO2NP) campaign group claim that ministers acted illegally and outwith their powers. Legal papers formally challenging the Scottish Government’s named person plans have been lodged at the Court of Session.

This week saw The Housing (Scotland) Bill being passed by the Scottish Parliament, marking the end of the right to buy social housing in Scotland. It is estimated that this will prevent the sale of 15,000 social houses across the next 10 years.

Mortgages have become more affordable over the last five years, according to new figures from Halifax. This improvement in affordability has been seen all over the UK, with the exception of London and the South East.

Lawyers in the United States are reporting an increase in the number of couples requesting that social media clauses be included in their prenuptial agreements, reports ABC News.

New data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has revealed an increase in the number of mortgage loans taken out by first-time buyers during April this year.

An increasing number of estates are falling over the inheritance tax threshold as a result of large rises in property values, wealth adviser Towry has warned.

The first quarter of 2014 saw a sharp rise in house purchase lending in Scotland compared to the same period last year, according to new data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

A long-running divorce dispute between a Russian oligarch and his ex-wife has resulted in what is thought to be one of the largest ever divorce settlements, reports the Guardian.

A recent statistical release has given a detailed analysis of marriage, civil partnership and divorce in Scotland.

Demand in the Scottish housing market remained steady during April, with a net balance of 23% of respondents reporting an increase in new buyer enquiries, according to the latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey.

A court in Melbourne has overturned a prenuptial agreement that the wife had been pressured into signing, reports the Herald Sun.

Banks are failing to handle power of attorney requests effectively, and as a result are causing unnecessary stress for customers, the Scotsman has recently reported.

People preparing estate plans and wills should now include clear instructions about what should happen to their social media, computer games and other online accounts after their death, according to the Law Society of England and Wales.

In a recent survey of solicitor estate agents across Scotland by SPC Scotland, eight out of ten solicitors active in the property market apparently forecast a continued rise in sales.

Cross-border custody disputes involving Japan should become a little easier, after The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction came into force in Japan on 1st April.

A recent global survey has found that in the over-50 age group, respondents reported higher levels of dissatisfaction with their finances if they were divorced or separated, compared to those who were widowed.

A divorce dispute spanning ten years between the Aga Khan and his second wife has finally been resolved after the court approved a settlement agreement, reports the Telegraph.

Stirling has overtaken Londonderry as the UK’s most affordable city, according the latest Affordable Cities Review by Lloyds Bank.

In a recent English divorce case, a man has successfully challenged the prenuptial agreement that he signed with his wealthy wife, reports the Guardian.

A recent report from think-tank Demos has suggested that people should be ‘nudged’ into planning for their long-term social care costs.

A father has been awarded custody of his two sons after a judge was highly critical of their mother’s “permissive” parenting style, reports the Guardian. Despite being an English case, it is still relevant in Scotland as an interesting example of the circumstances in which a court could revoke an existing custody order.

The Office for National Statistics has recently published a statistical bulletin giving an interesting insight into divorce in England and Wales in 2012.

The Scottish Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to pass the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill.

Since its launch in September last year, Scotland’s Help to Buy scheme has received over 1200 applications, and has helped more than 200 families successfully gain a mortgage and move into their new homes, the Scottish Government has reported.

The UK Supreme Court has recently given its judgment in an interesting English case that involved a legal challenge to the validity of a Will. The ruling allows the Will to be rectified, despite being wrongly signed.

At this time of year, everyone looks forward to a new start. While we are all trying to get fit, lose weight, save money, read more books or give up a treasured vice, few of us actually follow through with our vows!

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