Cohabiting couples rights

One in four couples who live together has no plans to wed, yet many wrongly think that they have the same legal rights as married couples.

Even though the numbers of couples who cohabit in Britain has more than doubled since 1996 to nearly six million, widespread ignorance of the law remains.

A third did not know that they do not have the same rights as married partners when it comes to inheritance. Just under a third wrongly believed that their legal rights on finances were the same as those of married couples.

Two thirds did not realise that they do have the same rights when it comes to child custody.

“It’s important to understand that couples who cohabit aren’t recognised in the same way as married couples are. The law is different and can be complicated, especially when a relationship ends and there are children involved.”

Assets which are solely in an ex-partner’s name are likely to remain with them. It means that the parent with responsibility for a child after a break-up may find themselves in serious financial difficulties.

Making a cohabitation/ ‘(‘living together’) agreement when thinking of living together could save a huge amount of time, money, and heartache if the worst happens.

At Hylton-Potts we can draft a legally valid agreement in plain English for £395 including VAT. You can contact us 24 hours on our email service [email protected] ordering office hours on 020 7381 8111.