Family Law News Edinburgh

Last month the Scottish Government announced a post-legislative review of the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006.

A heterosexual couple have lost their legal battle to be allowed to enter into a civil partnership. Rebecca Steinfeld, 34, and Charles Keidan, 39, are both academics who live in Hammersmith, west London and are engaged and have been in a relationship for over five years. The couple also have a young son together.

The Succession (Scotland) Bill has passed its final stage in the Scottish Government. This is the first major reform to succession law for over 50 years. Many people consider current succession laws to be outdated and in pressing need of reform.

As December comes to an end we tend to look back over the year we have had. 2015 has been a very significant year for Scottish family law as the first same sex marriage ceremonies were held last Hogmanay, showing how much Scottish family life has changed over time. Before the New Year begins we can start to think about what might be the biggest family law trend of 2016.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown that cohabiting families are the fastest growing family type in the UK.

Fifteen per cent of Britons over the age of 40 and living with their partner choose to keep some or all of their savings hidden from their other halves, according to recent research.

Britain’s levels of births outside marriage are at the highest point for at least 200 years, according to a major new study of the history of the family from the independent think-tank, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ). Cohabitation levels have also soared from under 5% pre-1945 to 90% today.