Cohabitation

Financial claims

Many people choose to live together and do not think of the consequences should the relationship break down. In England and Wales there is no such thing as a common law husband and wife. In fact, cohabiting couples have no legal or financial obligations to each other.

Cohabitation Agreements

You may therefore wish to agree your arrangements before living together and enter into a cohabitation agreement. We can advise you on the issues you should consider and how the court will view your arrangements should a problem arise in the unfortunate event that the relationship fails.

For example, you may wish to think about matters such as property owned either solely by one party of jointly and how you share your income. Cohabitation agreements can include (but not be limited to) what percentage of a property a party owns, who is responsible for certain outgoings on the property, who bought certain items and what a party would be entitled to in the event of separation.

It is also important to consider what might happen in the event of your death given that partners do not share the same rights under the intestacy rules as married couples.

Please note that the law is different for same sex couples living together.

In the unfortunate event that your relationship breaks down, you may wish to know where you stand legally and our team can offer you constructive advice and help you work through this stressful time in order to help you resolve your situation as quickly as possible. In the event that an application to court is necessary to resolve your situation, our experienced team has the expertise to deal with such applications.