Family

Cohabitation Agreements

A Cohabitation Agreement is entered into by cohabiting couples who wish to protect their rights during the relationship and also should the relationship breakdown. The agreement allows you to document how property and its contents, personal belongings and savings should be divided following the end of a relationship. 

It is a very common misconception that if you live with your unmarried partner for a number of years, you acquire the same rights that a married couple have. This is simply not the case and there is no such thing as a common law marriage. Therefore you have little legal protection following the breakdown of the relationship. For this reason, if you are considering living with your partner, we recommend that you take independent legal advice on what may happen in the event the relationship ends and we advise you to enter into a Cohabitation Agreement, in order to protect your future position.  

The validity of these agreements are debatable, however they are likely to be upheld in court if the parties seek independent legal advice and provide full and frank disclosure prior to entering into the agreement.  Furthermore, there should be no possibility that undue influence can be claimed and there should be no fraud or mistake involved.