Family and Divorce Lawyers

You will benefit from the team’s vast experience of providing well-thought out agreements that cover how assets should be divided.

This can include items such as:

• property;
• shares in private limited companies;
• partnerships;
• farming interests;
• trusts;
• share options;
• pensions;
• foreign assets.

We can also ensure you get the best possible guidance with regard to valuation issues, the structure of legal vehicles and tax implications.

A key priority for families, we can provide support on child-related issues on a standalone basis or in addition to resolving a separated couple’s financial affairs.

Our family law team can assist in helping you with sensitive solutions to agree:

• the time a child spends with each of their separated parents;
• who a child lives with;
• specific issues that arise such as whether a parent can relocate overseas with a child;
• which school a child goes to;
• whether a child should have medical treatment.

More and more couples live together without marrying - and many of those couples separate in the same way as married couples.

The law allows financial provision to be made between cohabiting couples if they separate.

The law is very different from that applying to married couples but many of the issues arising are similar.

We can ensure these are worked out to your satisfaction.

Couples now often, and sensibly, enter into pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreements or cohabitation agreements to contract for what should happen to their assets in the event of separation.

Burness Paull’s family lawyers also provide input where families are restructuring their business interests or money is being passed down the line, and advise individuals on such matters.

In the modern world people are increasingly mobile in terms of their residency status.

This has led to an increase in cross-jurisdictional issues, and the law has been made more complex by Brexit and the resultant effect on European Law.

Jurisdictional rules in Scotland are such that Scottish-domiciled individuals can apply for divorce in Scotland.

Our family lawyers advise individuals living abroad divorcing in Scotland, as well as on recognition and enforcement of incoming foreign court orders and enforcement of outgoing orders abroad.

We can also advise those with foreign assets on the most appropriate choice of jurisdiction for dealing with their legal issues.

Family structures are evolving and more and more people are choosing to adopt children. Adopting a child is of course a big step and we can guide you through the process.

Whether you are a step-parent adopting your step-child or an individual or couple adopting through an adoption agency - we can help you to formalise your parent-child relationship.