News & Legal Updates

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"

If you’re anything like me, your time in lockdown has involved taking part in countless quizzes, eating copious amounts of banana bread, trying (hopelessly) to become Tik Tok famous, and not to mention going full Alan Titchmarsh on your garden. But what now? Avoid unnecessary stress and cost in the future by considering the following … Continue reading "Lockdown life admin: six tips to prepare for the future"

The new era has arrived. Civil court procedure has charged into the 21st century and is now fully embracing technological advances. The pace of change, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the lock down of society, has been meteoric. The lengthy process of consultation and debate has been circumvented by necessity and we now have … Continue reading "A new era for the civil court procedure"

With COVID-19 having a significant impact on individuals and society alike, it is, now more than ever, essential to ensure that your affairs are in order. Having a professionally drafted Will can ensure that the people or organisations you wish to benefit, do, as well ensuring your own peace of mind that everything is taken … Continue reading "The impact of Covid-19 on charities and how can I help?"

We have no control over the wind. However we CAN control how we work the sails. The sails can be a metaphor for many things: resilience, awareness, thinking, behaviours and of course motivation. What does that word motivation mean? You may say ‘get up and go’, commitment, drive. For me it is ‘purpose’; motivation is having … Continue reading "I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach for my destination."