watersrule solicitors blog

The governing body of Scottish solicitors is asking the legal profession and interested stakeholders for their opinion on the law surrounding cohabitants' rights.

The Scottish Government has recently launched a consultation on mixed-sex civil partnerships following a Supreme Court ruling and an upcoming change to the law in England and Wales. 

There has been a sharp fall in the number of divorces granted to wives during the early years of marriage, new research has found. According to pro-marriage think tank, Marriage Foundation, the number has fallen by as much as 50% since 1986.

An extension to existing legislation has meant that couples who have a civil partnership registered abroad or elsewhere in the UK can now marry in Scotland.

Following a radio show on BBC Radio 4, a campaign has been launched to bring adultery laws up to date with the issues that exist in the 21st Century.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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