Cohabiting couples - did you the law does not recognise this status?
Even if a couple has lived together for years or have children, there is no legal recognition as a couple, making it very difficult to claim a share in the family home ora partner’s finances if a couple splits up.
If a couple live together but are not married or in a civil partnership, you might be surprised that you have very little legal protection if you break up. There is no such thing as ‘common law marriage’ that is legally enforceable.
In fact, 46% of adults in England and Wales mistakenly think that couples acquire ‘common law’ rights after living together for a certain amount of time or having children together.
Resolution is campaigning for cohabiting couples to have at least basic rights on relationship breakdown or death of their partner. Resolution also work to raise awareness so cohabiting couples can take measures to protect themselves. One measure is seeking to obtain a ‘cohabitation agreement,’ which will set out both partners’ intentions around property, finances and how they would support their children if they split.
Read more on cohabitation and marriage at Resolution, through this link.
No automatic rights of inheritance unless specifically named in a will, or if a valid will has not been created, a cohabiting partner is not entitled to share in or make claims on their deceased partner’s estate.