Child law

At Burness Paull, we understand that issues involving children are some of the most sensitive and emotionally charged aspects of family law. When you have an issue in relation to your child, you want to be in the trusted hands of experts.

Our specialist child law team is dedicated to placing the welfare of children at the centre of everything we do.

We advise on the full spectrum of child-related matters, including:

• Living and contact arrangements following separation.
• Relocation disputes.
• Adoption
• Surrogacy arrangements.
• Cross-border and international issues.

Our dedicated team

We know that every child and every family is unique. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to children.

David Coutts - Director

david.coutts@burnesspaull.com  |  0131 473 6317

Our child law team is led by David Coutts, one of only a small number of solicitors in Scotland accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Child Law, Family Law and certified as a Trauma-Informed Practitioner. Recognised in the Legal 500 UK, ‘David leverages his longstanding experience to support clients in high-conflict child-related disputes’. His dual accreditation in Family Law and Child Law, and his background in dealing with both private and public child law, reflects the depth and breadth of his expertise available to our clients.

Nilah Ulhaq - Associate

nilah.ulhaq@burnesspaull.com  |  0131 473 6123

Associate, Nilah Ulhaq, is quickly developing a stellar reputation in handling child law disputes. The Legal 500 notes, 'Nilah Ulhaq is a more junior member of the team but has excellent organisational skills and has started to develop very good advocacy skills.’

Anna McCorquodale - Senior Solicitor

nilah.ulhaq@burnesspaull.com  |  0131 202 9618

Anna McCorquodale, Senior Solicitor, is the team’s “go to” lawyer for advising clients on alternative routes to parenthood, for example surrogacy and adoption (international and domestic). Anna combines technical expertise with a sensitive and supportive approach, to guide clients through their own individual journey to parenthood.

A trauma-informed approach

At Burness Paull we have committed to trauma-informed practice and our team are all now certified by the Law Society of Scotland in this discipline. This means we have the training and experience to support clients who may be experiencing trauma, and to ensure that children’s needs are approached with the highest level of sensitivity and care to minimise the risk for children of experiencing trauma from their parents’ separation. This is important whether cases are being resolved by agreement, or whether clients are facing the prospect of a Court action.

Our focus is on finding solutions that reduce conflict and stress, taking the heat out of the situation, wherever possible. By combining legal expertise with a compassionate, trauma-informed approach, we help families navigate difficult situations with clarity, reassurance, and the focus always on their individual children.

Our aim is always for clients to leave us with an effective arrangement for their child which has the best chance of enduring through their child’s childhood to minimise the potential for legal intervention being required again in the future.

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