A scheme to help protect people from the risk of domestic violence by allowing them to find out if a current partner has a history of violence has been in operation across Scotland for a year now. The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse in Scotland came into force on 1st October last year, and gives…
The Scottish Government has laid legislation in Parliament that will remove the automatic council tax discount for second homes. The change, which is due to take effect from April next year, will give councils the option of offering no discount for second homes, arming them with another lever to encourage better use of housing stock…
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that 861 civil partnerships were formed in England and Wales in 2015, which is a fall of 49% from 1,683 in 2014. Civil partnership formations have apparently declined by 85% since 2013. According to the ONS, this is mainly due to the introduction…
The Scottish Government has recently reaffirmed its commitment to its named person service, but confirmed that it would not commence the related provisions of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 on 31 August, pending changes to the Act following the UK Supreme Court judgment in July. An order is required to stop commencement…
National Records of Scotland (NRS) has recently published ‘Scotland’s Population 2015 – the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends’, which gives an interesting insight into population and relationship trends across Scotland. With regards to relationships, the report on Scotland’s Population revealed that: There were 29,691 marriages in Scotland in 2015. Of these, 1,671 were…
The latest House Price Index from Halifax has revealed a 1.6% increase in house prices in the three months to July, compared to the previous three months. This exceeds the 1.1% increase seen in June, and is similar to the rates recorded in April and May (both 1.5%). The analysis also shows that prices in…
According to a recent study from the US, financial factors such as a wife’s ability to support herself are not necessarily predictive of divorce. Instead, it is couples’ division of labour that is associated with the risk of divorce. The study, from Harvard University, compared couples married in 1974 or earlier with couples married in…
An interesting piece of research released recently by Lloyds Bank has revealed that living close to a well-known supermarket chain can add as much as £22,000 on average to the value of your home. This price increase can apparently be even higher when the property is located near to a supermarket perceived to be a…
A former model, who was seeking £196 million as a divorce settlement from her ex-husband, has been awarded £53 million by the High Court in London, reports the BBC. When her own assets are added they bring the total settlement amount to around £75 million. Christina Estrada had been married to Sheikh Walid Juffali, a…
A recent study from America has found that when it comes to failing marriages, women are more likely to blame their spouse than men, but are also more likely to move on without regrets. The study, by legal search company Avvo Inc, revealed that when asked who was responsible for the end of their marriage,…
