Blog

The different roads to divorce

Many of our family law clients tend to have something in common; the desire to end their marriages and to achieve the best outcome possible. However, the length of time it takes them to reach the decision varies greatly. Some want to divorce as soon as possible, perhaps reacting to a change in their relationship…

Making a Will whilst in self-isolation

In these strange and unprecedented times the Law Society are reporting a huge increase of people understandably either making or updating their wills or setting up a Power of Attorney. Something in the order of a 30% increase on the average. Possibly unsurprising but the process itself is not without its challenges at this difficult…

Moving house in the time of coronavirus

Many property buyers and sellers have been left understandably distressed following last Thursday evening’s government announcement regarding home moving during the coronavirus outbreak.  It was stated that, wherever possible, all property transactions should be ‘paused’, except for those that are contractually obliged to proceed or where it is not possible to reach an agreement to…

5 reasons your DIY Will may be invalid

People often contact us to ask whether a DIY Will, such as the sort that you can buy off the shelf on the high street or online, or even prepare yourself with some online guidance, is actually legally binding and valid. The truth is that it very much depends on a number of factors. Solicitor…

Will you still love me when I’m 64?

Silver Splitters: the rise of divorce amongst the over 60s A twin trend has developed in recent years with more couples over 60 getting married, but also more getting divorced after many years of marriage. The increase in the number of over 60s getting divorced has given rise to the term the ‘silver’ or’ grey’…

Some silver linings to the coronavirus cloud

It has been such a gloomy time of it of late with never ending bad news about the spread of the coronavirus. Not to dismiss or diminish the terrible sacrifices and tragedies caused by coronavirus, we thought we’d try and come up with a few reasons to be cheerful in an effort to try to…

Penderlaw Business Continuity Plan

As government restrictions continue to be eased, I am writing to let you know that we continue to do all we can to ensure that we maintain the quality of service that you would normally expect from Penderlaw, whilst taking into consideration the health of our employees and their families. In line with advice from…

Planning ahead to save the farm

It is a sad fact that farmers’ families often face huge inheritance tax bills if effective succession planning has not been implemented. Tax relief is currently available, but many don’t receive it because the required processes have not been followed. Alarmingly, an NFU Mutual survey in 2017 found that less than 50% of farming families…

Divorce demystified – The 6 key stages

The terms decree nisi and decree absolute are often mentioned in the media in connection with celebrity divorces but what do they actually mean? The legal terminology and descriptions of the different stages of a divorce can be bewildering and often adds to the apprehension associated with what is already a stressful situation for those…

Child Custody – 7 common Q&As

When a relationship breaks down, whether you are married or not, agreeing arrangements for any children involved is often one of the most emotive elements to be resolved. Family Law specialist, Rachel Macwilliam, answers 7 common questions on the topic of child custody.  Get in touch If you find yourself needing legal advice around child…