The Government is taking steps to strengthen the family justice system in Scotland. The Children (Scotland) Bill looks at how contact with the court system impacts on children, either directly or indirectly, and how children can be further protected and assisted if they and their families become involved with the courts.

According to new research from Direct Line Pet Insurance, more than 28,500 of the 111,000 divorce cases in the last year involved the custody of a pet; equating to around 90 disputes every day.

There were more than 34,500 first-time buyers in Scotland in 2018; an increase of 56 per cent from the 22,100 recorded a decade ago, according to the latest figures. Up 13 per cent from 2008, first-time buyers now account for 50 per cent of all house purchases with a mortgage, the Bank of Scotland statistics conclude.

The latest UK House Price Index (HPI) reveals that the average Scottish property price in February 2019 was £145,762 – a monthly fall of 3.1 per cent and a drop of 0.2 per cent on the same month in 2018; the first annual decrease in average property prices since March 2016.

Scottish couples who tie the knot in a non-religious ceremony are more likely to stay together than those who wed in Church of Scotland, Roman Catholic or civil ceremonies, new figures suggest.