If you live together you do not have the same legal rights as if you were married.
So, should your relationship run into difficulties and you decide to separate, it can be complicated: from a legal point of view, there is no such thing as a common law husband or wife.
If you really want to protect yourself, we can advise you on how to set out the details of your financial arrangements in a Cohabitation Agreement. This will clarify what should happen to your capital assets if you were to separate.
Property
Where property is involved, and you do not have a Cohabitation Agreement, we can advise you whether you have any entitlement to that property. As noted above, this is a complicated area of law. Most important is who owns the property legally but contribution and your intention at the time you bought the property can also make a difference.
Maintenance
If you are living together and are not married, there is no legal obligation to provide each other with financial support. The payment of child maintenance can usually be dealt with by the Child Support Agency. However, there are some circumstances where applications to the Court can be made, usually for a capital lump sum so that housing needs can be met or financial provision made towards education costs.
