Department profile
Thorntons Law LLP

Family/Matrimonial

UK Guide 2026 : Scotland

Share profile

Thorntons Law LLP

Rankings

About

Provided by Thorntons Law LLP

Thorntons family law team work for clients over the whole of Scotland, with family lawyers in their offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Perth, Dundee, Cupar, Forfar and Arbroath. They cover all aspects of family law practice, dealing with financial claims on divorce or the breakdown of cohabiting relationships, pre and post nuptial agreements, and private law aspects of child related disputes, including relocations, specific issue order disputes and adoption and surrogacies. The team has a huge strength and depth of experience, both in litigation and non-court based resolution, and the work that they undertake will often have international or cross-border elements.

Ruth Croman heads up the team of twenty one lawyers across their offices, of whom eleven are accredited as specialists by the Law Society of Scotland. The team has three family law arbitrators, nine accredited CALM mediators, and eleven lawyers trained in the use of collaborative practice.

The team recognise that no two family law cases are the same, and work hard to support their clients through often challenging situations with empathy, care and pragmatism

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Family/Matrimonial - Scotland

Band 1

What the Team is Known For

The team at Thorntons Law handles a broad range of family law matters from its offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Perth, Dundee, Cupar, Forfar, and Arbroath. It has a solid reputation for local sheriff court work and is well versed in mediation and arbitration, with particular prowess in complex child access and finance cases. Lawyers within the group are adept at handling matters as varied as cohabitation claims, international child relocations and surrogacy cases. They also collaborate closely with the firm's other departments such as immigration, corporate and property to provide a comprehensive service. In September 2025 Thorntons merged with Patience and Buchan.

View ranking table

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • They were always prompt in their responses and they provided very clear guidance.

    Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

  • The team has a number of practitioners who are very well qualified over a broad range of family law work.

    Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

  • They provided excellent communication and support throughout a complex case.

    Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

  • They are sensible, honest and pragmatic in the advice that they give.

    Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Ashley Simpson
    Ashley Simpson

    Ashley Simpson

    Ashley Simpson is an experienced family law practitioner who advises on a wide range of both financial and child-related cases. She is adept at handling matters through all forms of ADR as well as those taken to court.

    • Ashley is excellent in all aspects of her work. She’s calm, measured and quietly formidable as a litigator.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • She is unflappable and she can handle the most complex of clients and matters with such ease.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • I received a first-class service from Ashley.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • Ashley's calm and gentle demeanour belies her keen knowledge and dogged approach to her clients' business.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • I find Ashley to be very professional and knowledgeable. Her gentle manner also makes her pleasant to work with.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK
    View profile
  • Lorna Buchan
    Lorna Buchan

    Lorna Buchan

    Lorna Buchan is highly regarded in the market for her strong family law practice. She often advises on the financial aspects of high-value divorces, including matters concerning maintenance, family businesses and cross-border assets. She is a qualified family mediator and arbitrator.

    • Lorna put me at ease from the first meeting.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • She is fearless in her representation of her clients and is unperturbed by challenging scenarios or issues.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • Lorna is an outstanding lawyer. She is unwavering in her support and razor-sharp in her approach.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • She is an excellent litigator, and her negotiating is also very good.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • Lorna is a tenacious and effective advocate of her client's position.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK
    View profile
  • Jennifer Gallagher
    Jennifer Gallagher

    Jennifer Gallagher

    Jennifer Gallagher advises on mediation and collaborative law cases concerning high-value financial matters, in addition to private children issues related to contact and residence applications.

    • She is extremely competent and really knows what she's doing.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK
    View profile
  • Ruth Croman
    Ruth Croman

    Ruth Croman

    Ruth Croman is an experienced family lawyer. She has experience in a range of finance and child law-related cases and is particularly skilled in ADR proceedings.

    • Ruth is brilliant and great to work with.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • She is good at driving cases forward.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • Ruth is hugely experienced. She's someone who will just inspire confidence in clients.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK
    View profile
  • Lucy Metcalf
    Lucy Metcalf

    Lucy Metcalf

    Lucy Metcalf is Edinburgh-based and focuses her practice on high-value matrimonial finance cases. She also assists with child contact disputes and surrogacy arrangements, and is adept at handling matters through traditional litigation as well as ADR proceedings.

    • Lucy is a very experienced and highly qualified solicitor.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • She gives very wise advice and is supportive and calming during high-stress moments.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • She is exceptionally knowledgeable and reaches amicable solutions.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK

    • She has a great deal of litigation experience, and both technically and procedurally she is very formidable.

      Family/Matrimonial respondentUK
    View profile
  • Sandra M Sutherland
    Sandra M Sutherland

    Sandra M Sutherland

    Sandra Sutherland advises on the full spectrum of family law, ranging from divorces and cohabitation claims to complex matters concerning child contact arrangements and domestic abuse allegations.

    View profile

Ranked Individuals at Thorntons Law LLP (9)

Scotland

Members

Provided by Thorntons Law LLP

What success is built on

Chambers is the leading data and intelligence partner for the legal sector.

Explore thought leadership