The law does not recognise the status of
unmarried couples in any realistic way.
Different rules apply to
people who are not married and it is important to take specialist
advice. It may also be appropriate to take advice before you
and your partner start living together and pool resources – we
are not just there to help if things go wrong!
Getting together should be one of the happiest
times of your life however there is no reason why being practical
about your financial future should stand in the way of your happiness.
Reasonable couples, whose critical faculties are
not temporarily impaired by the tunnel of love acknowledge the
fact that relationships breakdown and that when you live together
you do not have the protection available to married couples and
civil partnerships.
Even if you believe that your relationship will
be one of those that will last would you even think twice about
taking out an insurance policy against what are the more remote
chances of your car being written off or irreparable damage to
your home?
We have one of the largest rates for new relationships
after marriage breakdown. This brings additional considerations
for couples who have been previously married and may be bringing
considerably more assets to the new relationship and often have
other competing interests that are necessary to protect such as
the financial security and planning for existing children.
For situations where you are about to embark on
a relationship without the benefit of marriage or a civil partnership
and you want to ensure that everything is clarified from the start,
we recommend a
Co-habitation Agreement and a general legal health check. This
can ensure that your partner has all the rights and protection
that you want them to have and if sadly things do go wrong there
are less disagreements in the event that the relationship should
fail and you choose to part company from your partner.
We will advise you on your financial arrangements,
Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, Living Wills as part of the
legal health check so that you both have confidence that come what
may others will respect the love you have for each other and the
rights of you both to make decisions that affects the other or
both of you.
