Wednesday, 14 August 2019
We have just become Fife’s first Dementia Friendly legal practice and are delighted to be part of a Dementia Friendly Community across Fife which enables people who are affected by dementia to remain a valued and active part of the community. In order to obtain this award businesses must ensure our offices have signage that promotes easy access and navigation and that staff are trained in how best to work with people living with... read more
Sunday, 9 June 2019
What is the new offence and when did it come into force? new offence of domestic abuse came into force on 1st pril 2019. At Glasgow Sheriff Court on 29th May 2019 the first conviction was recorded. The new offence is under the Domestic buse (Scotland) Act 2018. What is the offence? The new law makes it a criminal offence to behave abusively towards a partner or ex-partner on at least two occasions. To be guilty of the offence, the person... read more
Thursday, 30 May 2019
Are they enforceable? How many times has a family member or friend told you to just bin any private car parking charges you receive after parking in a private car park? Most people in Scotland believe that private car parking charges are not enforceable in Scotland with many believing that if you receive such a charge that you should just forget about it or put it in the bin. However, these private charges are enforceable as clearly identified... read more
Thursday, 9 May 2019
It’s a boy! Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their son this week. While the life of any new parent revolves around feeding, nappy changing and a distinct lack of sleep(!) there is also an important issue that all parents should address. Although it may be the last thing on anyone’s mind as they adapt to life as a new parent, every parent should have a Will. If you die without a Will, it could lead to... read more
Tuesday, 7 May 2019
There has been a lot of discussion in the news recently in relation to the increasing demand for short stay letting (STL) across Scotland. Currently there are more than 9,000 properties listed by Airbnb in Edinburgh alone, although a recent BBC article on the topic puts this figure at over 12,000. Incredibly when you put that into perspective it equates to around one Airbnb listing for every 42 residents in Scotland’s capital. According to... read more
Sunday, 7 April 2019
Web-based Will-writing services have become more popular in recent years given that we are spending increasing amounts of our time online. However, there are serious risks to using these online templates as a substitute for proper legal advice. We firmly believe that the advantages of instructing a Solicitor to prepare a Will instead of an automated system completely outweigh any possible convenience element to having a Will prepared... read more
Saturday, 30 March 2019
At Stevenson and Marshall, we have seen a significant increase in clients granting Powers of Attorney in recent years. A Power of Attorney allows you to appoint someone to handle your financial affairs such as banking, insurance and investments. It can also include welfare powers to allow your attorney to make decisions regarding medical treatment and your care. While Powers of Attorney have traditionally been thought of as something for... read more
Sunday, 24 March 2019
We are pleased to announce that our Partner, Jillian Barnes, has become a fully accredited member of Solicitors for the Elderly. Jillian runs our busy Lifetime Legal department and specialises in wills, estate planning, trusts, powers of attorneys and estate administration. Jillian is the only accredited member of Solicitors for the Elderly based in Fife. Solicitors for the Elderly is a national organisation of trusted legal advisors who... read more
Sunday, 17 March 2019
Research recently released by an investment company has provided some interesting statistics revealing that people are often completely unprepared when it comes to estate planning. HMRC figures show that Inheritance Tax bills rose by 8% last year. However, 45% of retired British people have not discussed Inheritance Tax planning with their family. The average person waits until the age of 74 to discuss their Will:- 45% admit they simply... read more
Monday, 14 January 2019
One of the most common questions we are asked by clients is “How do I protect my assets if I ever need to go into a care home?” Unfortunately there is no simple answer to this. The honest answer is there is absolutely no guaranteed way to avoid care charges completely. The average cost of care in Scotland is £760 per week which equates to just under £40,000 per year.* In certain circumstances, the local authority have the right to... read more
