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LS2526: FAMILY LAW (2015-2016)

Last modified: 25 Mar 2016 11:33


Course Overview

This course is divided into two principal parts.  In the first part, students will be introduced to the key facets of the law governing the formation of adult relationships, including the constitution of marriage and civil partnership, legal rights and duties of spouses and civil partners, same sex marriage, the grounds for divorce and the financial aspects of breakdown of marriage and relationships of cohabitation.  The second part focuses on the relationship between children and adults and the legal rights of children, including parental rights and responsibilities, court orders relating to children and the welfare principle.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 2
Session Second Sub Session Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Ilona Cairns

Qualification Prerequisites

None.

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This level 2 course covers key aspects of current Scots Family Law including the creation, consequences and termination of marriage and civil partnerships under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977, Civil Partnership Act 2004 and Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 and the rights, responsibilities and obligations arising from cohabitation with particular reference to the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006. The course also covers the constitution of the parent-child relationship and various legal consequences of this relationship: parental responsibilities and rights, children's rights; child protection, taking particular account of the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011; adoption; and family mediation as an alternative mode of dispute resolution. The course will also touch on the significance of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights for Scots Family Law.

Further Information & Notes

A pass in Family Law is compulsory for entry to the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP). The Diploma is a pre-requisite for practising as a solicitor in Scotland.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: 1500-word essay (25%) and two-hour exam (75%).

Resit: Assessed course work 1500-word essay (25%) and two-hour exam (75%).

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Feedback

Students receive written feedback on the non-counting essay.

Students who fail the final exam have the option to go over their first paper prior to the resit.

All students are advised that they may contact staff at any time on issues related to the course.

Feedback also occurs on an on-going basis in the form of tutors' comments on students' contributions in tutorials.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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