News & Legal Updates

BBC News reported recently that the parents of a 15-year-old girl who was killed by a train in 2012 have only just been authorised by the High Court in Germany to take over her Facebook account.  It is incredible that it is only now, after 6 years, that this issue is being resolved for them. … Continue reading "What happens to your Facebook (and other digital assets) when you die or lose capacity?"

Last year, fans of the Netflix drama Better Call Saul witnessed the dramatic death of a major character in the season finale.  Jaw-dropping deaths have long been a hallmark of both BCS and its predecessor Breaking Bad, but at the start of this year’s new season of BCS, we got to see something new and … Continue reading "Better not Call Saul: a (spoiler free) look at Wills, challenges & legal rights"

It has been a time of significant change in the law governing private residential tenancies in Scotland. The First Tier Tribunal (Housing and Property Chamber) took over responsibility for residential leases on the 1st of December 2017. This means that the Tribunal now has the power to deal with applications for eviction and for any … Continue reading "Landlord Applications for Evictions – Changes to Private Residential Tenancies."

So the royal baby has officially been named….HRH Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge! In Scotland, the duty to register a birth within 21 days means that parents must decide upon a name for their child. At the time of registering a birth, little thought is probably given to the legal implications of choosing a … Continue reading "So the royal baby has officially been named…Prince Louis!!"

It’s a boy! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child has arrived, born on 23rd April 2018 at 11:01am weighing 8lbs 7oz. He is fifth in line to the throne and the Queen’s sixth great-grandchild. Becoming a parent is an exciting if not hectic time whether it is your first child or third child … Continue reading "Every little Prince or Princess needs looking after"

Laura McDowall looks ahead to proposed reforms to the rules of guardianship in Scotland. Taken from the STEP JOURNAL. As private client practitioners, we often provide advice in matters where an adult lacks the capacity to make decisions relating to their personal affairs. This could be due to many reasons, including age-related illnesses such as … Continue reading "Changes to guardianship in Scotland"

I was sorry to hear of the recent death of well-known British entertainer Sir Ken Dodd who was one of the most popular artists of his time, whether he was in the theatre, the charts or on TV.  On reading the news, I was interested to note that he died only 2 days after marrying … Continue reading "Inheritance Tax: Is Sir Ken having the last laugh?"

For many, graduating from University is a long-awaited milestone. Having secured my traineeship, with Blackadders LLP, two years in advance I graduated with over a year to ‘spare’ before starting my traineeship. For the past eleven months, I have been lucky enough to work as a receptionist at Blackadders who I am going to train … Continue reading "Why law graduates should work in a firm pre traineeship …"

Blackadders LLP has handed over a cheque for £1,500 to a charity which supports people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their families for a better, more inclusive, life. We surpassed our target for PAMIS (Promoting a more inclusive society) by running a Christmas Jumper Day, a raffle, bake sale and a donation from the partners … Continue reading "Blackadders LLP raises £1500 for PAMIS"

The mention of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 (the 1990 Act) brings to mind hackers sat in darkened rooms infiltrating the government’s top secrets and none of us would, hopefully, imagine committing an offence under it.  However, the Act reaches much further and many of us may innocently find ourselves on the wrong side of … Continue reading "Innocently accessing your relatives account to help them out, could be deemed as an offence…"