Family Law News Edinburgh

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 Many people consider current succession laws to be outdated and in pressing need of reform.

This week has been Resolution’s Family Dispute Resolution Week. Resolution is an organisation made up of 6,500 family lawyers and related professionals in England and Wales. Their guiding principal is approaching family law matters in a non-confrontational and collaborative way.

Research has revealed that children above the age of four are overlooked for adoption in favour of babies and toddlers.

The new research comes from Barnardo’s Scotland and found that babies and toddlers were far more likely to be adopted than older children. The stats were published in their report titled Too Old at Four?

A new adoption service is being created in the hope of improving links between children and foster families. Following the closure of the British Association for Adoption (BAAF) and Fostering, Children's Minister Aileen Campbell announced that The Adoption and Fostering Alliance Scotland (AFAS) will be stepping in to cover services.

The AFAS will handle the training, consultancy and a helpline for the public and professionals, as well as be responsible for the smooth transition from BAAF Scotland. The changes to the Scottish adoption operation comes following St Andrew's Children's Society being appointed to run Scotland's Adoption Register in July and a £75,000 investment in adoption services in Scotland.

A major adoption and fostering charity in the UK has closed down with immediate effect after citing that it suffered as a result of“significant changes and economic conditions” which made it impossible for them to keep operating.

The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF), had been aiding vulnerable children for more than 30 years, but closed at the start of August and is now being run by administrators.