Thomson's Family Law in Scotland

Katy Macfarlane is a Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh Law School where she teaches courses on child and family law and mental health law. From 2000 to 2007, she headed up the Scottish Child Law Centre. Katy is a solicitor, safeguarder for the children’s hearing system, child welfare reporter in family actions in Edinburgh Sheriff Court and a trained mediator. She co-authored the annotated Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (W Green) and is co-editor of the Family Law Bulletin (W Green). Katy is on the Board of Trustees of the Scottish Child Law Centre and is a member of the Scottish Government cross party groups on Children and Young People; and Mental Health.

In the years since the publication of the last edition of [Thomson's Family Law in Scotland], there have been significant developments, both in case law and via the introduction of new or updated legislation. This book therefore provides a much-needed update to the late Joe Thomson’s formative text, which has served as an invaluable source of knowledge and reference for students and professionals in Scotland since the publication of the first edition in 1987. Macfarlane provides a clear yet thorough account of these developments … The continued existence and updating of Thomson’s Family Law in Scotland is imperative to ensure that students, policy-makers and practitioners have a comprehensive and rigorous account of how the law is developing in response to complex social changes and international pressures.

• Chapter 1 Getting married and registering a civil partnershipPart I: Getting marriedPart II: Registering a civil partnershipChapter 2 Legal impediments to marriage and civil partnershipChapter 3 The legal consequences of marriage and civil partnershipPart I: generalChapter 4 The legal consequences of marriage and civil partnershipPart II: moveable propertyChapter 5 The legal consequences of marriage and civil partnershipPart III: The matrimonial and family homeChapter 6 Divorce and dissolutionChapter 7 Financial provision on divorce and dissolutionChapter 8 CohabitantsChapter 9 Parents and childrenChapter 10 Children’s legal capacity and rightsChapter 11 Parental responsibilities and parental rightsChapter 12 Actions in relation to parental responsibilities and parental rightsChapter 13 Adoption and permanenceChapter 14 Children: responsibilities and powers of local authoritiesChapter 15 The Children's Hearings System