Blog
Caritas in the Sunday Post
No one knows the importance of arranging a Will more than solicitor Lesley Iannarelli. The estates expert at Caritas Legal Limited has solved numerous cases affecting families in Scotland. After 18 years as a paralegal, Lesley joined Caritas in August 2020 and...
Vacancy: Admin Assistant/Receptionist Role
The role is a full-time position (Monday to Friday) although we may consider part time hours for the right candidate. This would suit an individual with previous experience (or a willingness to learn), a keen eye for detail and ability to work within tight timescales...
How to Adopt a Child in Scotland: Process, Criteria and Costs
Adoption Adoption is the process whereby the legal parent and child relationship with the biological parent is severed and a new one is created with the adoptive parent(s). There can be many reasons why people adopt – a step parent who has been involved in the life of...
Inheritance Tax Planning: How to Reduce Your Tax Bill
What is Inheritance Tax Inheritance Tax, usually abbreviated to “IHT” is a tax on transfers of value i.e. inheritance on death or gifts in lifetime payable to HMRC. It is commonly thought of as a Tax arising only on death, which it often does. However it isn’t just...
Caritas In the Sunday Post
Let award-winning Caritas solve all your legal issues When Caritas Legal was formed in 2011, it aimed to be a modern and plain-speaking law firm and that is all part of the service that it has delivered in the last decade. Read the full article in the Sunday Post: Let...
Informally caring for a loved one? Why guardianship may be needed
We have recently noticed an increase in people contacting us who have cared for a loved one for years informally and are unaware that legal framework may require to be in place to enable them to carry out this role. If the person they are caring for does not have...
Losing parental rights and need for guardianship
Parental Rights and Responsibilities and Guardianship In Scotland, parents have what are known as parental rights and responsibilities (s1 and 2 of the Children(Scotland) Act 1995) by reason of being the child’s mother, named on the birth certificate or having been...
Child Residence and Contact Orders in Scotland
What is Residence and Contact? Residence and Contact are the terms used to refer to the living and care arrangements for children whose parents have separated, sometimes referred to as access, custody and visitation. Residence (otherwise known as custody) is the term...
Armed Forces Covenant ERS Bronze Award
Caritas Legal receives a Bronze Award from the Armed Forces Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (“ERS”) Caritas Legal have a specialist interest in the Armed Forces, to demonstrate this we chose to support the Armed Forces Community by signing up to the Armed Forces...
What is the difference between POA & Guardianship?
Power of Attorney or Guardianship Order – What is the Difference? You may have heard the term power of attorney and guardianship being used, but do you know what both of these are and what the key differences are between them? We often have clients contacting us to...
Wills in Scotland FAQ
How much does a Will cost? The cost of a Will varies, depending on it’s complexity and individual circumstances. If the Will is simple and straightforward, it can be as little as £150 plus VAT. Do I need to make a Will? It is important to have a Will in place as it...
Legal Rights in Scotland
Legal Rights are a distinctive feature of Scots Law. In Scotland, a surviving spouse/civil partner and children (including adopted children) are entitled to legal rights amounting to a proportion of the your estate when you die, with or without a Will. Unmarried...
Get a Divorce in Scotland: Process, Paperwork and Costs Guide
Getting a Divorce in Scotland In 2018-2019 there were approximately 7323 divorces/dissolutions granted via the Scottish Courts. Deciding to proceed with a divorce or a dissolution can be a stressful and emotional time for both parties to the separation and divorce. In...
To have or not to have… a Will?
A Will is a written document setting out a person’s wishes regarding what is to be done with their estate following their death. A Will not only contains details on how the estate should be distributed but also appoints executors (the people in charge of the estate...
Increasing interest in Powers of Attorney due to the coronavirus pandemic
What is a Power of Attorney? A Power of Attorney is a legal document in which an individual appoints someone to make decisions and act on their behalf either immediately, at some point in the future or if they become incapable. The person who grants the Power of...
Guardianship Update
As a result of the covid-19 pandemic, legislation was brought in which effectively “stopped the clock” on guardianships. This was to allow the office of the public guardian, and those who are guardians, sufficient time to progress applications, whilst also alleviating...
Winning at your new beginning!
New Year, New Beginnings. This might include you moving in or purchasing a property with your partner. Did you know that if you live with your partner and you’re not married or in a civil partnership, your legal rights are still affected by the fact that you live...
Free Online Legal Clinics
Throughout January and February 2021, here at Caritas Legal we will be running free online legal clinics to answer any queries you may have. Whatever the question, please get in touch and we will do our best to assist. If we cannot help, we will point you in the right...
Guardianship – A Guide to the Process and How it May Affect You
Guardianship - What does it mean and what do i need to do? Do you know what it means to become someone’s guardian? You may have heard the term guardianship or guardian and been unaware what this means. We are discussing here the guardianship of adults, often referred...
A good divorce?
It is probably fair to say that “good” is not the first word that springs to mind when people think of divorce, or separating. It won’t be possible in all cases, but if couples who are separating try their best to work together and instruct the right solicitors, then...
To litigate or to collaborate?
This week marks “Good Divorce Week” which is a campaign run by Resolution. They wish to highlight the possibility that separation and divorce do not need to be acrimonious and can be amicable. Indeed, one of our favourite phrases here at Caritas Legal is “An Amicable...
Poppy Scotland
Caritas – Charity of the Month The very basis for Caritas Legal has always been about charity. Having close links and donating time are key priorities in maintaining our commitment to delivering specialist legal services with a social conscience. For the months of...
A Covid Christmas?
As we enter Autumn and the country begins to brace itself for the colder weather, inevitably for a large proportion, thoughts will be turning to the winter break and Christmas and New Year Celebrations. For those who are living in separated families, Christmas and New...
Common myths and questions surrounding divorce
We can get a quickie divorce because there is nothing to sort out between us Quickie divorce is a term which has been coined by the media and is often used to refer to divorces that occur after short periods of marriage. The reality is that here in Scotland a divorce...
Kinship
What do we mean by kinship care? Kinship care is the arrangement whereby a family member is caring for another child of the family for example a grandparent looking after their grandchild, a sibling looking after a younger sibling or an aunt or Uncle looking after...
Child Law FAQ’s
We understand that issues relating to your children and their living arrangements can be one of the most stressful things to resolve and deal with. We have collated some of the most common questions we ae asked by clients to try to put your mind at ease and provide...
Cohabiting
The one where they move in together The last episode of Friends aired in 2004 and since then, the way in which we live and progress our relationships has changed massively. Can you believe social media wasn’t actually a thing back in 2004 and smartphones were yet to...