Cohabitation solicitors

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Cohabitation

With no such thing as common-law marriage, unmarried couples who live together can be at risk financially without even realising it. We can guide you through this complex area. 

Cohabitation law is often misunderstood, leaving many unmarried couples unaware of their rights. Put simply, unmarried couples do not have the same rights as married couples.

Understanding where you stand legally is vital, enabling you to prevent future problems arising. The law may be complicated but we have the expertise and practical experience to advise you whether you are looking to protect your wealth, agree arrangements for your children or deal with the financial fall-out of a separation

Increasingly, we also help families and trustees successfully and safely provide financial support to a loved-one looking to buy their first home. 

Our lawyers

Our wealth of experience, combined with our reputation for finding solutions in even the trickiest of situations, provides clients with cost-effective advice. 

Our experience

Our experience is as diverse as the people we help. Recently, we have: 

  • Worked with colleagues in tax and estate planning to produce pre-nuptial agreements, wills and trusts for a soon-to-be-married client who was due to receive a sizeable inheritance, implementing effective wealth protection and limiting future disputes.
  • Advised grandparents who wanted to give money to their grandchildren to enable them to buy their first homes, helping them to understand the legal consequences of their support and put in place mechanisms to protect their investment.
  • Successfully pursued and defended claims against family homes and other property, both through the courts and in arbitration.
  • Structured an unusual financial arrangement providing life-long housing and financial support for the mother and child, which satisfied the client's goals to achieve financial certainty. Our ability to develop a creative solution to a novel problem was praised.
  • Successfully mediated a variety of agreements between parents where disputes over the children had arisen or original arrangements had broken down, helping them to avoid the uncertainty, stress and cost of going through the courts and enabling them to reach a bespoke agreement tailored to their circumstances.

Our clients

Cohabiting couples are the fastest growing family type in the UK. As a result, we act for increasingly diverse clients including: 

  • Blended families 
  • Same-sex families
  • Young couples 
  • Parents and grandparents providing financial support to their children and grandchildren
  • Couples who are in business together 
  • Professional and family trustees 

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