New generation high-resolution spectropolarimeters will benefit from the large collecting area of the future E-ELT and currently operating 8-m class telescopes. We review plans to develop spectropolarimeters for these very large telescopes and outline a number of science cases where new spectropolarimetric instrumentation is expected to play a key role. This includes greatly improved detection and characterization of magnetic fields in stars across the HR diagramm, analysis of magnetic fields in protostars, very low-mass stars and exoplanets.