Covers the formalities and legal consequences of marriage and civil partnership, divorce and dissolution, and important issues relating to children, such as parental rights and responsibilities, protection and adoption.

A well-established, clear and comprehensive book on Scots family and child law that will be of practical use to students and practitioners. This book is set out in a clear and logical manner and includes chapters on: · the formalities and legal consequences of marriage; civil partnership and cohabitation; · divorce, dissolution and the breakdown of cohabitation; · the rights and capacity of children; · adoption and permanence; and · the Children’s Hearings System. The eighth edition incorporates all recent legislative changes including the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019, Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019, Children (Scotland) Act 2020 and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2020. This title is included in Bloomsbury Professional's Scottish Law, Scots Law Student and Scottish General Practice online services.

"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." - The Edinburgh Law Review