Cohabiting Couples and Living Together – What are your legal rights?

About this event

Unmarried cohabiting families are the fastest growing type of family in the UK.

Living together without being married or being in a civil partnership means you do not have many rights around finances, property and children.

You will not be treated as next of kin if your partner becomes ill nor will you have the right to know about their condition, see them in hospital or plan their care unless you have a formal agreement in place.

If you decide to separate when you are living together the situation can also become complex as you will have fewer legal rights as married couples.

You may want to consider making a will to protect your financial interests. Without a will in place your partner and children will not have an automatic right to inherit your share of the property or assets. Another option to consider is a cohabitation agreement to define the parameters of your relationship as without such an agreement your financial affairs could be complex if you decide to separate in the future.

In this webinar, our private client and family law teams will provide an overview of what options you may wish to consider before living together, address some of the myths and misconceptions around ‘common-law’ marriage as well as steps you can put in place to ensure you are legally protected.

Topics covered will include:-

• Property ownership – What is a declaration of trust?
• Medical emergencies & death
• Wills & inheritance
• Children and Parental Responsibility
• Separation – what are my rights?
• Cohabitation or living together agreements – setting out your joint intentions for your finances, property and arrangements for children

The presentation will run from 1pm – 1.45pm and will include an online Q&A session for anyone wishing to ask questions.