What We Do

Co-habitation

When cohabitees separate, a whole host of family-related and financial issues may arise. These may relate to the ownership of property, financial claims brought on behalf of children for capital and maintenance or other child-related issues such as parental responsibility, residence, contact and schooling. We have experience of providing advice in these areas and can assist you to resolve them effectively.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a “common law” spouse. If you are co-habiting with your partner, or considering this, you will generally have no financial claims against each other during your lifetimes on the termination of your relationship.

You may therefore wish to consider entering into a cohabitation agreement, which sets out the terms on which you and your partner hold property, and attempts to regulate the financial matters between you, should you later separate. We can advise you on this and can draft the agreement on your behalf. While not currently considered binding by the courts, a cohabitation agreement can be persuasive evidence for the Court in a dispute.

If you would like a free initial consultation on any family or divorce related matters, please contact Daniel Clifford.