Moving in Together: Protect Your Rights by Entering into a Cohabitation Agreement Cohabitation is a living arrangement where an unmarried couple lives together in a long-term relationship that resembles a marriage. However, it is important to note these unmarried couples do not have the same legal rights as married couples. Many unmarried couples mistakenly believe that common law marriages still exist. In the UK common law marriages have no legal validity or recognition and therefore on a breakdown of relationship or the death of one cohabitee, unless a cohabitation agreement is in place there may be significant problems, by which time it is often too late to do anything.
By entering into a cohabitation agreement, couples can avoid situations leaving them in vulnerable positions.A cohabitation agreement is a legal document entered into between unmarried couples who reside together. It sets out arrangements relating to finances, property and children whilst the couple are living together and how matters should be dealt with on separation, illness or death. Although the agreement can be made at any time, it is advisable to do so before couples move in together. Also couples may wish to consider entering into an agreement if they have children or get a mortgage on a joint property. Without a cohabitation agreement your rights are limited. Cohabitation agreements does not have to be made between couples. It can also be made between people who are not romantically involved eg friends or siblings.In order to avoid complicated and expensive litigation, unmarried couples should enter into a cohabitation agreement which sets our important factors such as: - Who owns what and in what proportions - Future intentions for ownership - Contributions being made to household or property and the difference, if any, that it makes to ownership