Family Law Aberdeen Latest News

A recent study from Norway has found a link between a couple’s pattern of alcohol use and the likelihood of divorce.

The study, by researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, found that:

• On average, the more a couple drinks, the higher the risk of divorce.
• The greatest risk of divorce occurs when it is the wife who drinks the most compared to her husband.
• Couples with a similar consumption of alcohol have a lower divorce rate than couples with different drinking patterns. This was true regardless of whether both partners were heavy drinkers, or both abstained.
• However, a couple where both partners drank heavily have a higher risk of divorce than a couple who both drink sparingly.
• A marriage where both partners abstained from drinking alcohol had the lowest risk of divorce.

“The divorce rate was highest among couples in which the woman drank a lot compared to the man,” commented lead author Fartein Ask Torvik. “There are several possible explanations for this.

“In general, women are more affected by drinking than men are. In addition, it is probably less socially acceptable for women to drink a lot, because it interferes with female roles in family life. It is also more noticeable when women drink, because we are more used to men drinking more.”

One of the UK’s main children’s charities has highlighted the sad fact that too many children are being passed over for adoption because of individual personal characteristics, such as their age, ethnicity, disability or because they have siblings.

Children being passed over

The data, released by Barnardo’s at the start of its Fostering and Adoption Week, shows that:

• a white child is three times more likely to be adopted than a black child;
• the likelihood of a child aged four or under being adopted is one in three. This falls to one in 15 when the child turns five;
• around 40% of children waiting for adoption have some form of special need; and
• 48% of the children on the adoption register are in sibling groups.

High level of demand

Demand for adoption or foster care continues to be high, with additional figures published by Barnardo’s showing that:

• the number of children in the UK waiting to be adopted is at its highest level since 2007, and now stands at 7,000;
• an additional 8,750 new foster families are required across the UK this year; 7,100 in England, 1,000 in Scotland, 550 in Wales and 100 in Northern Ireland;
• few foster carers prepared to take on sibling groups, and as a result two out of three fostering services are having to split brothers and sisters up before they can be fostered.

Adoption in Glasgow

The position at local level is highlighted by a new campaign by Glasgow City Council which, like the majority of local authorities throughout the UK, faces an ever increasing number of children coming into care.

Figures from the council show that it is currently responsible for around 3,600 children and young people in care, of whom around 1,200 are looked after by foster carers. Around two-thirds of children in care are there because their parents have, or have had, substance misuse problems.

Over the past two years, the number of children taken into care in Glasgow has increased by around 300, with 200 of these going into foster care.

According to the council, there are currently around 500 foster householders in the region, many of whom are now approaching retirement. The council therefore urgently needs more people to come forward to be adoptive parents or foster carers.

Many people are eligible to adopt

To try and maximise the number of people coming forward, the council is highlighting the wide range of people who are eligible to adopt or foster, and clarifying a number of misconceptions that still exist over eligibility.

The council is reminding people that:

• "single people can foster,
• same sex couples can adopt,
• people who don't own their own home can foster,
• people in their forties can adopt,
• couples who live together but are not married can foster."

A recent survey has found that, on average, couples can think of 12 annoying habits their partner possesses.

The Scottish Government has launched its national parenting strategy, which aims to provide Scotland's parents with easier and better access to information and support.

A survey of counseling professionals from YourTango.com has offered surprising insights into the romantic relationships of couples with kids. Shockingly, the survey reveals that half of experts polled agree: wives should prioritise their husbands over their kids.

The Scottish Government has outlined its legislative priorities for the 2012-13 parliamentary year, which include the introduction of the Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill.

The latest Scottish Household Survey (SHS) Annual Report, published by Scotland’s Chief Statistician, has given a breakdown of the composition, characteristics, attitudes and behaviour of Scottish households in 2011.

Intergenerational living could be set to become the norm, with three quarters of UK adults saying they’ve lived with another generation of their family beyond age 18.

The US Supreme Court is to hear an international custody case involving a Scottish woman and her American ex-husband, reports the Scotsman.

The Registrar General has published the Annual Review of Demographic Trends for 2011, which shows that after nine years of continuous growth, Scotland’s population in mid-2011 reached 5,254,800 - the highest ever. These figures, based on 2001 Census data, show a rise of 190,600 people over that period.

A new report has revealed that almost three quarters of singles have friends who will be friends for life, and four in five say that friendships last longer than romantic relationships. Men in particular are saying no to marriage. Just three in ten single men think they will ever get married, and 48% think single people are more fun.