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.
Nothing but helpful and strong advice from the team, who have helped me through with reason and kindness tinged with an underlying steel when I was struggling.
Chambers & Partners
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 people 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 a family’s circumstances are being resolved by agreement, or through a Court process.
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 the people we look after 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.
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. Our dedicated team of lawyers are here to help.
Richard Smith - Partner
richard.smith@burnesspaull.com | 0131 473 6081
Richard Smith is one of Scotland’s leading family lawyers and has nearly 30 years of experience. Throughout his career, Richard has helped clients with complex and difficult child related legal issues. Those issues include who children live with, how much time children spend with parents, which school children attend, and whether children should relocate overseas with a parent.
Richard promotes mediation and problem-solving resolution, but in situations where litigation is the only option or appropriate, he generally conducts his own advocacy and his skills in that area are highly regarded, leading to many positive outcomes for his clients.
David Coutts - Director
david.coutts@burnesspaull.com | 0131 473 6317
David Coutts is 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 "is very impressive and will be one to watch in the years ahead. She is far more able than her years of experience would suggest.” It also describes her as "extremely capable, highly efficient, reassuring and compassionate".
Anna McCorquodale - Senior Solicitor
anna.mccorquodale@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.
The team offers “a personal touch, listening and hearing, and show the most evident intent to build the strongest relationship with the client.”
Chambers & Partners
Latest insights
International parental child abduction: What do I do if my child has been taken?
21/08/2023
What should I do if my child has been taken by the other parent?
Trauma-informed family lawyers – why it matters
12/08/2025
Our Family & Divorce team believe so strongly in the value of being trauma informed that every member of the team is now certified. This article explores how being trauma informed can help clients.
International relocation of children
09/12/2024
What should I do if I want to relocate with my child?
Related News, Insights & Events
Error.
No results.
A new dawn of matrimonialisation – a Scottish perspective on Standish
28/07/2025
What is or is not matrimonial property is now having its heyday in England & Wales with the recent Supreme Court decision Standish -v- Standish.
Keeping the farm in the family
19/06/2025
We explore what happens to a farm when a significant relationship breaks down.
The impact of relationship breakdown on the workplace
12/06/2025
This blog explores the impact that relationship breakdown can have on the workplace and advises that relieving stress in employees helps with productivity.
{name}
{properties.pageSummary}
{properties.headline}
{properties.pageDate|date:dd/MM/yyyy}
{properties.shortDescription}
