News & Legal Updates

Buying a property with your partner is a big step. While there are lots of things to think about when buying a property, you should also be aware that living with a partner or ‘cohabitant’ (the legal term) has legal consequences. Your cohabitant, in the event of a separation, has a right, in certain limited … Continue reading "4 Top Tips from a Family Lawyer When Buying a Property With Your Partner"

What is intestacy? If a person does not leave a valid Will, their estate requires to be dealt with by the intestacy rules contained in the Succession (Scotland) Act 1964, as amended (“the Act”). This sets out a fallback position, providing the order of inheritance and financial limits for surviving spouses and civil partners, children … Continue reading "Intestacy Rules: 5 things to consider when dealing with an estate where there is no valid Will"

The Covid 19 pandemic and the resulting lock down has created profound and lasting changes in the way the courts function, and the way I dress and work. We have at long last embraced the technology that is readily available and most civil cases are now being dealt with by a combination of email, written … Continue reading "Do you ever forget how to tie a half Windsor knot?"

Peace of mind insurance? Is this a new insurable risk that lawyers have found an answer to? No. But this is what a Power of Attorney could be considered to be. I often say to clients that a Power of Attorney is ‘like peace of mind insurance’ so I thought that it would be interesting … Continue reading "Blackadders, now offering peace of mind insurance…"

What are they? Legal Rights are a peculiarity of Scots Law designed to protect against the disinheritance of certain relatives regardless of what you have written in your Will. Whilst many of our clients have heard of legal rights it is fair to say that most are surprised to hear that what they have written … Continue reading "The intricacies of Legal Rights: 5 points to be mindful of"

No one likes to plan for their own death. That is why fewer than 40% of the Scottish population are believed to have a Will. If you have your own business, it may be even more tempting to put your head in the sand. However, it is dangerous to put these things off for too … Continue reading "Succession-Planning for Business Owners: 4 key questions"

The Facts Mr and Mrs Villiers married in 1994 and lived in Scotland for most of their marriage. Mrs Villiers returned to England after separation. In 2013 Mrs Villiers raised divorce proceedings in England. Those proceedings were stayed as Mr Villiers raised proceedings for divorce in Scotland. As the parties last resided together in Scotland … Continue reading "Family Law – The consequences for cross-border maintenance claims"

At Blackadders we have already explained how our clients can make a Will or a Power of Attorney if they can’t meet us in person. During the lockdown we have been fortunate to have guidance from the Law Society of Scotland as to how we can progress legal matters remotely and we have technology which … Continue reading "Wills & Powers of Attorney – No internet, no email, no problem"

Have you recently been appointed as an Executor? Are you aware of what the role entails and its incumbent legal responsibilities? What is an Executor? An Executor is a personal representative, usually appointed under a Will, who is responsible for dealing with the assets (e.g. the house, car, money, shares/investments) of a person who has … Continue reading "The role and responsibilities of an executor"

Blackadders is extremely proud that two of our private client solicitors, Rachael Delaney and Robyn Lee, gained top marks in the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trusts: Law & Practice (Scotland).  We encourage all private client lawyers to complete the STEP Diploma in Trusts and Estates – Scotland and provide an environment where continuous development can … Continue reading "Top marks for two of our private client solicitors"