Family Law News Edinburgh

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

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.

Many of the millions of couples who live in separate homes – the modern phenomenon known as ‘living apart together’– wish at heart for more traditional cohabitation and marriage, according to new research.

A recent study from America has found an apparent link between the success of a marriage and the husband’s health and personality.

Just under half of adults currently living as part of a family have experienced at least one previous committed relationship (involving marriage or cohabitation) prior to their current family setup. More than one in six (17%) have had two or more past committed relationships, with 5% having had three or more.

A recent report from the think tank Marriage Foundation has claimed that around a quarter of a million of couples are claiming lone parent benefits, while continuing to reap the benefits of a two-parent household.

The Marriage Foundation has disputed a claim made by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) that there is no evidence that married parents provide a better environment for children’s development than cohabiting couples.

A recent study from America has found that working-class couples who choose to cohabit rather than marry tend to have traditional views on gender roles within the home.

Financial matters are the most common source of discord among American couples, prompting an average of three arguments per month, according to a national telephone survey conducted for the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) by Harris Interactive.

American legal advice website, Findlaw.com, offers advice for couples who have just ended an engagement on the difficult question of whether the engagement ring should be returned. According to the website, with an estimated 15 - 20% of engagements broken off annually, it's a question that's more common than people might think.

A recent report from America has found that finding time for 'date nights' or other one-on-one time can bring many relationship benefits for couples.

Recent research from America by the National Center for Health Statistics has found that there has been an increase in the number of children born outside marriage across American women of all age groups.

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has given its verdict on the Budget, and comments that whilst it welcomes the removal of the ‘cliff edge’ from the proposed child benefit reforms, there remains a fundamental flaw within the Government’s plans that could threaten a new wave of family instability and breakdown.

Match.com, the online dating site, has released findings from its second annual Singles in America study.

A recent survey has found that nine out of ten people who are married or in a cohabiting relationship would turn to their partner when they felt in need of emotional support.

Recent research from America has found that many former cohabiting couples continue to have a romantic relationship even after they stop living together, reports the Ohio State University Research News.

With the share of married adults at an all-time low in the United States, new research has unveiled clues why couples don’t get married – they fear divorce.

A recent survey has found that the festive period can place additional financial and emotional strain on families already struggling to cope with their financial situation. 

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.