SPONSORED CONTENT: A time for reflection with Harper Macleod
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Amanda Masson, a partner in the family law team at Harper Macleod, reflects on the challenges and opportunities that come with the turnover of a new year.
Although we have nearly reached February, and the prospect of school half term looms quickly on the horizon for many families in the Highlands, January is still a time for reflection, and what the year ahead may bring, the challenges faced over the past few years, and what the future might hold. That human capacity for reflection and hope is the same the world over.
New Year is a particularly thoughtful time for solicitors, too. Nearly every year it is reported in the media that the first business week of the New Year is the busiest time for family lawyers. That has certainly borne out by my experience over the past twenty years of practicing in this area of law.
It is often assumed that the pressures of the festive period bring resentments to the fore, leading to difficult decisions being made about ending relationships. Arguments about where to spend Christmas, who to invite, and so on can be fuelled by the stress of having so much to do. Christmas and New Year can also serve as reminders of who is no longer with us, and what we may have lost.
The end of a marriage or significant relationship is a loss, too. Whether you are the person taking the decision to end the relationship, or the person having to adapt to your spouse or partner having made that decision, there can be no doubt that separation and divorce are very difficult life events.
Yet there can be a sense of positivity and hope. Endings can be painful, but they are followed by the beginnings of something new. Reflecting on my experiences as a family law solicitor it is true that sometimes the decision to consult a solicitor is not just driven by stress and unhappiness. A desire to forge a new path can lead to our offices, too. The type of reflection that so many of us engage in at this time of year can lead individuals to see that they would prefer life to look a little different, and take steps to explore their legal rights and obligations within the arena of family law.
The framework of rights and obligations which we family law specialists work with were crafted with the aim of making sure that financial and child welfare matters are taken care of when a marriage or cohabiting relationship come to an end. These are the fundamental issues on which we tend to be consulted. It is our role as trusted advisors to guide people towards that more positive future with skill, sensitivity and care. That is the privilege we have as family lawyers, and where the job satisfaction comes from for us.
The Highlands contain diverse ways of making a living and that is always at the forefront of our minds, too. In looking at financial provision we often need to consider particularly specialist aspects. In recent years we have considered a diverse range of specialist issues such as valuation of family businesses, crofting law, and fishing rights to mention just a few. In the sphere of child law we have been asked to advise on child relocation, adoption and parenting arrangements post separation. Local knowledge proved to be enormously helpful to our clients.
To give one example, having detailed knowledge about what is happening in the Highlands in terms of business and employment opportunities assists us in offering practical advice to parents considering a move away from the region with a child. If asked to make a decision the Court will take in to account the motive behind the request for permission to move. Making out a case based on economic opportunity requires specialist knowledge and skill.
That awareness of local issues combined with the highly specialist experience offered by our family law team allows us to help clients achieve their family law related aims in a unique way. The diversity of considerations at play in our practice on in the Highlands makes the work interesting and rewarding
We look forward to continuing to apply our specialist knowledge and experience to serve the community going forward in to 2022 and beyond.
