Around 3.6 million couples in England and Wales live together without being married or in a civil partnership. Many of them assume they have the same legal rights as married couples if the relationship ends. They do not.
There is no such thing as 'common law marriage' in English law.
Without a cohabitation agreement, an unmarried partner has no automatic entitlement to a share of the other person's property, even after many years together.
A cohabitation agreement is a legal contract that sets out how property, finances, and assets will be managed during a relationship and divided if it ends.
It does not mean you are planning to split up. It means you are protecting both of you, clearly and fairly.
No ambiguity about who owns what, particularly important if contributions to the property are unequal.
An agreement reached freely, when everything is good, avoids costly TOLATA claims if things go wrong.
We draft agreements around your specific circumstances, not off-the-shelf documents.
Where you are purchasing property together, we can prepare both documents simultaneously.
A good agreement is fair to both. We make sure both parties understand what they are signing.
Knowing the financial side of things is clear and documented allows you to focus on the relationship, not the what-ifs.
Our Family Law team is here for people, not just cases. Approachable, compassionate, and focused on securing the best possible outcomes for you and your loved ones. Combining specialist expertise with clear, practical advice, they guide you through life’s most challenging moments with sensitivity, integrity, and unwavering professionalism.
