There are over 3 million couples cohabiting in the UK without being married, and contrary to common belief, they acquire no ‘common law marriage’ rights in this country simply by living together and have no automatic entitlement to financial support upon separation.
With the problem disproportionately affecting women, who often take a back seat in their careers to care for children and support their partners, family lawyers and campaigners are calling for reform.
In an article for Professional Adviser, senior associate Anna Stanworth discusses what reform may look like.
‘Cohabiting couples in England and Wales are still surprised to find out that they acquire no 'common law marriage' rights in this country simply by living together and have no automatic entitlement to financial support upon separation. For the 3.7 million cohabitants in this country, this means that those in committed relationships who live together but are unmarried have very limited options if they were to separate, and the options they do have can be time-consuming and costly.’
Subscribers can read the full article on the Professional Adviser website.
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