News & Legal Updates

As I come to the halfway point of my training contract, this feels like a good time to reflect on the past year. To those applying for training contracts, or waiting for their first day of their traineeship to arrive, here are some things I wish I knew before I started my traineeship:

My colleague, Alastair Johnston, previously published an article where he discussed  Bruce Wayne’s abilities as a company director. His capabilities as a director certainly do not match his crime fighting skills. He spent recklessly on items that wouldn’t benefit the organisation and failed to inform other shareholders of his actions. So what are the duties … Continue reading "Bruce Wayne: 7 Superhero tips to being a Superhero Director"

Community support is one of the cornerstones of the Rural Sector in Scotland. In the current economic climate, it can be challenging on many fronts to progress in agricultural communities whether financially, physically or mentally. RSABI is an established charity which has helped those in Scottish rural industries for over 120 years in Scotland from … Continue reading "RSABI Great Glen Challenge"

Blackadders are delighted to announce that Laura McDowall has been accredited as a specialist in Incapacity and Mental Disability Law by the Law Society of Scotland. The accreditation system recognises lawyers with exceptional quality and skill that have developed specialist knowledge during their careers. Laura joins an elite group of solicitors after becoming only the … Continue reading "Laura McDowall accredited as specialist in Incapacity and Mental Disability Law"

Professionals working in the field of Child Law are more than likely to have heard of the expression “parental alienation”. For some years now this concept, which some classify as a “syndrome”, has been used to describe the steps taken by one parent to isolate, or ‘alienate’, the other parent from the lives of the … Continue reading "Solving the Problem of Being Alienated From Your Kids"

Bear Payne. This is the name the media and fans have been eagerly awaiting on following the much anticipated arrival of Cheryl and Liam Payne’s baby boy in March. I remember agonising over baby name books trying to decide what to name our children and Bear’s arrival brought me back to the time when I … Continue reading "‘Bear’ Necessities – Why New Parents Should Make A Will"

Craft brewing and craft distilling is becoming big business.  A recent report by UHY Hacker Young claimed the sector was going through a period of “explosive creativity” and a quick look around the region shows Tayside is not immune to this booming market.  Across the UK, craft breweries have hit a record high with 520 … Continue reading "Time to get crafty about brand names?"

Recently Sheriff Mann at Banff Sheriff Court issued a judgement which he stated he came to “reluctantly because it is apparent to me that the defenders know that the pursuers are the creditors in the mortgage, even though they may not be secured creditors,…know that the debt must be repaid and yet have been able to … Continue reading "Lenders Beware the Statutory Forms"

Out with the old and in with the new – Corporate Insolvency As of today (Thursday 6th April 2017) the Insolvency (England & Wales) Rules 2016 come into force. The Rules introduce much needed significant reform and consolidation of the Insolvency Rules 1986. The 1986 Rules have been amended on numerous occasions and have increasingly … Continue reading "Out with the old, in with the new…(and almost in and out again, with the nearly new!)"

The waiting is almost over!  The new Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) for Inheritance Tax (IHT) that the Government announced in summer 2015 will come into play from 6 April 2017. The RNRB will allow more people to pass on their family home to their descendants without paying IHT.  It works by giving homeowners an … Continue reading "The new Residence Nil Rate Band: 6 Things You Need to Know"