The Austin Lafferty Solicitors & Estate Agents Blog

The Registrar General has published preliminary births, deaths and other vital events figures for 2011.

The number of deaths in Scotland fell to 53,661 in 2011, the lowest number since records began in 1855. This was 306 (0.6%) fewer than in 2010, and 195 (0.4%) below the previous lowest number (which was 53,856 in 2009).

The number of births registered in 2011 was 58,592 – 199 (0.3%) fewer than in 2010. The figures also show that 51% of births were to unmarried parents, the highest percentage recorded. There were 29,135 marriages in 2011 – 655 (2.3%) more than in 2010 and the highest figure since 2007.

Commenting on the provisional totals of vital events registered during 2011, Registrar General for Scotland George MacKenzie said:

“The preliminary number of divorces reported to us has again fallen slightly, this time to 9,814, though the final figure may be a little higher once we get all the late returns. The decline is not unexpected. We have seen a drop in the number of divorces each year since a peak in 2006 when the Family Law (Scotland) Act reduced separation periods.

“There were increases in the numbers of stillbirths, infant deaths, adoptions, marriages, civil partnerships formed and civil partnerships dissolved.”

A court in the United Arab Emirates has witnessed what must be one of the shortest marriages in history, reports Emirates 24/7.

The judge presiding over the court in Ras Al Khaimah had complied with a request to solemnise the marriage of an 80-year-old man to a 20-year-old woman.

After spending only an hour in her new husband's home however, the woman came back to the courtroom and asked the same judge for a divorce.

She gave no reason for the request, but after gaining the husband's permission, the judge granted the divorce.

A divorcing couple from Connecticut were ordered by a judge to give each other their passwords for their Facebook and online dating accounts, reports the New York Daily News.

The couple were going through an acrimonious divorce and custody battle. The husband had discovered that there may be information online which would discredit his wife and help his custody claims, and asked for access to her online accounts to verify. The wife complied with the request, but at the same time asked a friend to delete any incriminating evidence from her accounts.

At this point the judge intervened, and ordered both parties to exchange log-on details for their social media accounts. He also issued an injunction forbidding either side from deleting any information while the divorce was ongoing.

A recent study of family lawyers in America has found that the weak U.S. economy is creating problems for couples seeking a divorce, and is making it difficult for parents to abide by child custody arrangements.