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Tiger Woods, Madonna, Beyonce and Jay-Z – they all have them. But prenuptial agreements are not just for the wealthy or Hollywood A-listers. So if your other half popped the question at Christmas, think with your head as well as your heart and make sure you are protected for your future together. A pre-nup can be a beneficial legal document when settling your finances should the marriage break down in the future and there are plenty of reasons to consider one – even if you don’t have a huge net worth, you will still have assets to protect, either now or later down the line.

Moving in with your partner is an exciting time. From finding a property to setting up IKEA furniture, the future is looking bright and you can easily be forgiven for getting caught up in the whirlwind of romance. For many couples today, cohabiting is commonplace, either before or instead of traditional marriage. However, what many of these couples don’t appreciate is that cohabiting could have major consequences if the relationship ends, with the possibility of a financial claim if you don’t have an agreement in place.

Separating from your partner can be worrying enough, without having the additional stress of a court making the decisions about your family’s future, which is why many separating couples are turning to a more collaborative approach. Collaborative Practice offers separating couples a way to agree their legal separation arrangements and divorce without a court battle and with minimum conflict. They do so via supported discussions with collaboratively trained lawyers who ensure children are put first and minimise the conflict in the separation.

Research tells us that children thrive with warm, reliable, co-operative parenting – whether parents live together or live apart. We also know that there can sometimes be particular challenges for separated parents. These resources from Relationships Scotland will give you some ideas about how you and your children’s other parent can put your children first and move forward positively.