Shared Parenting Scotland

12/10/2026

Scottish government’s consultation on legal aid reform calling for a more considered approach to cases involving children and separated parents.

In many areas of civil law, the purpose of court proceedings is to resolve a dispute, with each party presenting their evidence and a judge reaching a decision.

Family cases are different. Most of the time, parents will have to continue working together in their children’s interests long after the sheriff has gone home and the solicitors have closed their case files.

An adversarial process focused on winning and losing risks increasing hostility and damaging children’s relationships with one or both parents.

Read more on our website ⬇️

Legal aid reform should put children and family relationships first 12 October 2026 By Fraser Wilson Shared Parenting Scotland has responded to the Scottish government’s consultation on legal aid reform calling for a more considered approach to cases involving children and separated parents. In ma...

09/10/2026

SHARED PARENTING SCOTLAND
ONLINE/ZOOM SUPPORT GROUP MEETING
- WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER 2026
- 6 PM – 8 PM
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Please email: [email protected] and we’ll send you the joining instructions on the afternoon of the meeting next week .

Our Online/Zoom Support Group Meeting is next week on Wednesday 14 October 2026, starting sharp at 6 pm and running till 8 pm aimed at those of you around the country who can’t make it to our in-person city-based meetings.

Places at this Zoom meeting will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Acknowledgments and joining instructions will be sent on Wednesday afternoon for those of you who request to take part.

We look forward to having with us supporting solicitor Craig Samson of Blackadders . Solicitors offer general legal information and clarification on ptorsoints of Scottish Family Law.

This meeting will be hosted by Alastair Williamson and Megan Hutcheon from Shared Parenting Scotland.

This meeting gives you the ability to put your own legal questions to our supporting solicitor(s). Depending on the numbers who sign up to attend, you’ll get 10/15 minutes, maybe more, discussing your points with the solicitor around the table.

Things work roughly the same as our in-person face-to-face meetings, starting with an introduction and conflict of interest check, a Shared Parenting Scotland news update and then giving each person in turn a chance to talk to a solicitor.

If the quality of the online connection is poor, we will ask people to join in sound only to make best use of the available bandwidth. To minimise background noise, we’ll ask you to mute your microphone when not talking.

You can take part in the Zoom meeting on a computer, tablet or smartphone or by dialling in by phone to an Edinburgh (0131) number. More info on Zoom can be found here : https://zoom.us/

Our staff are working as normal, so if you need to talk to us about issues you are facing, please ring 0131 557 2440 from Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm, or email : [email protected]

Thank you.

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07/10/2026

Please note that our helpline will be closed today. This is in order to support staff wellbeing across the team, with the first Wednesday of each month being a wellbeing day to let our staff recharge.

We’ll be open again as normal tomorrow

06/10/2026

What can we learn from Norway about shared parenting? 🇳🇴 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

There’s important new research from Norway that has clear relevance to the conversation we’re having here in Scotland about shared parenting.

A new study by Kenneth Aarskaug Wiik, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, analysed data from 6,342 separated fathers and mothers in Norway, taking account of the family circumstances of both parents.

One finding deserves particular attention:

Shared custody was associated with lower levels of interparental conflict, even after taking social, economic and family differences into account.

It's important that we have this conversation in Scotland. Read more on our website ⬇️

What can we learn from Norway about shared parenting? 6 October 2026 By Fraser Wilson There’s important new research from Norway that has clear relevance to the conversation we’re having here in Scotland about shared parenting. A new study by Kenneth Aarskaug Wiik, published in the Journal of Ma...

01/10/2026

SHARED PARENTING SCOTLAND
EDINBURGH SUPPORT GROUP MEETING
- TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER 2026
- 6 PM – 8 PM
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If you want to take part on Tuesday, please email: [email protected] so that we have a good handle on the numbers planning to attend.

Our next meeting in Edinburgh is in person on Tuesday 6th October , starting sharp at 6 pm and running till 8 pm at our office in 10 Palmerston Place, Haymarket EH12 5AA.

*** Please note if you are late for the 6pm meeting start and miss the introduction and conflict of interest checks, you will need to wait to speak with one of our hosts when you arrive before we can admit you to the meeting. ***

We look forward to having local supporting solicitors Stephen Grant of Gillespie McAndrew and Beverley Johnson of Johnson Legal with us to offer general legal information and clarification on points of Scottish Family Law.

This meeting will be hosted by Kevin Kane with support from Sumit Ghosh, Sean Humphreys and Rob Duffy of Shared Parenting Scotland.

Tuesday’s in-person office-based meeting gives you the ability to put your own legal questions to our supporting solicitors. Depending on the numbers who sign up to attend, you’ll usually get 10/15 minutes, maybe more, discussing your points with the solicitor around the table.

Our staff are working as normal, so if you need to talk to us about issues you are facing, please ring 0131 557 2440 from Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm, or email : [email protected]

Thank you.

30/09/2026

Great to have Ian Maxwell from the board of the International Council on Shared Parenting in our Glasgow office today alongside Shared Parenting Scotland trustee, Guy Holloway, and SPS’ David Maclean to discuss our plans for next year’s Children Rights and Shared Parenting conference.

The conference will be held at the Radisson Blu in Glasgow on 8-10 September 2027 and we’ve already had lots of early interest.

You can register your interest and keep up-to-date with latest developments here - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKgWw0z8Kh_9GTDqbGZ-MAxnwRERnBRjEdpUP75Nk0rEM_vw/viewform?usp=dialog

25/09/2026

Listen to Dawn Black MSP, Angus North & Mearns’ great speech on shared parenting below ⬇️

23/09/2026

We were impressed by the powerful contribution by , SNP MSP for North Angus and Mearns, to last night’s Members Debate on the Child Maintenance Service at Holyrood.

She set out clearly the shared parenting foundation on which policy for parenting after separation should be viewed.

We’ll be sharing Dawn’s full speech and other contributions on our website shortly

22/09/2026

✍🏼Note to colleagues and partners ✍🏼

👉🏼There are spaces at tonight’s Shared Parenting Scotland parent support group meeting in Dundee.

👉🏼Starting 6pm sharp (doors open for a cuppa 5.45pm) until 8pm at Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action, 10 Constitution Road, DD1 1LL.

🤝We look forward to welcoming family law solicitor, Alice Hegarty of Dundee firm Thorntons Law LLP. Solicitors offer general legal information and clarification on points of

🤝The meeting will be hosted by Eunice Owusu-Afriyie of Shared Parenting Scotland.

🫶🏻If a separating or separated parent in your network intends on coming, please make sure they email [email protected] or [email protected] to let us know.

21/09/2026

🎉Thanks to Musselburgh Athletic F.C. 🎉

🤝Great to see the Shared Parenting Scotland banner taking pride of place at Musselburgh Athletic F.C..

🤝It’s fantastic to continue strengthening connections between Shared Parenting Scotland and sport, following our recent partnership with Cumbernauld Colts F.C. and sponsorship of one of the girls’ teams.

🫶🏻Shared parenting brings opportunities and challenges - none more important than ensuring children have access to, and continuity of support for, the activities they enjoy and excel in while living across two houses.

can play a hugely positive role in providing stability, confidence, friendships, and belonging for children and young people.

🥇A big thank you to Musselburgh Athletic F.C. for the warm support and partnership.