Legal Expertise For Individuals & Families

Are you a step-parent who wishes to legalise the relationship with your partner’s child? Have you been working with an adoption agency and now been matched with a child for adoption? Are you looking to adopt a child from abroad? Whatever your situation, we are here to help you realise your dream of growing your family.

For first-time buyers, long-term homeowners looking to move, commercial business requiring real estate or investors seeking to advance a property portfolio, the process should always begin by seeking legal advice from an experienced property solicitor.

Caring for elderly relatives and helping them manage their own affairs is becoming increasingly important to families.

Child residence (sometimes referred to as child custody) and contact (sometimes referred to as access) are often the most contentious issues a separated or divorcing couple must agree on.

Civil partnerships create a legal relationship between couples, similar to that of marriage and offering much of the same rights in terms of the law.

Contrary to popular belief, common law marriage does not exist in Scotland (although couples that move in together and don’t legally formalise their relationship through marriage or civil partnership are granted some rights if the relationship breaks down or one partner dies).

We are committed to guiding you through the divorce process with dignity to achieve the best possible outcome for you and your family.

With considerable expertise in administration and issues relating to large and often complex estates, our team brings a level of knowledge and empathetic understanding to estate administration following a death where tensions can often arise.

As soon as a regulator contacts an individual in relation to a health and safety investigation or incident, the individual should immediately take legal advice. Our specialist team will defend clients from the initial point of contact with investigators through to any hearing in court.

Don't leave it to the law to decide who gets your assets – making a Will means your possessions go to the people you want to have them.

Mediation offers a lifeline to many families in the midst of separation and conflict. When relationships break down and you need to sort personal matters such as child custody, property or finances, matters can often turn confrontational very quickly.

Our team advises individuals facing personal insolvency or who have been made bankrupt, helping to protect their assets, such as the family home. We work closely with insolvency practitioners to recover assets for the benefit of creditors, including carrying out substantial investigations and tracing assets around the world.

None of us want to think of a time when we are unable to make our own decisions, yet it’s important to put plans in place should this happen. A Power of Attorney allows a nominated individual to make decisions for you if and when you are no longer able or willing to do so yourself.

Although nobody enters into a marriage intending to get divorced, many couples understandably prefer to prepare for the possibility of a relationship breakdown, and prenuptial agreements are fast becoming a normal part of preparing for marriage.

If your relationship has hit troubled waters but you are not sure yet whether you want to divorce or dissolve a civil partnership then a separation agreement could be a good option for you.

Ensure your assets are used for a certain purpose and properly managed on behalf of those whom you want to benefit from them.