Hartnell Chanot: Divorce/Family Law Solicitors Exeter, Devon

Unmarried Couples

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as common law husband and wife.

More people than ever in the UK today are choosing to live together, sharing homes and finances and in many cases raising children as a family.

Many un-married couples believe that by co-habiting for a length of time, or by having a child together that they will acquire legal rights. This is not the case.

Free Unmarried Couples Booklet - Download your copy of our Unmarried Couples Booklet now.

The myth

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as common law husband and wife. No matter how long your relationship lasts, an unmarried couple remains without legal standing in the eyes of the law.

Sadly, many couples only discover this when a relationship comes to an end and they are at their most vulnerable. Nevertheless, there are precautions you can put in place to protect yourself when entering into a relationship and steps you can take to ensure you get a the fairest settlement possible if your relationship has come to an end.

Living Together and your Rights if you Separate

The Community Legal Services Direct (CLS) have produced a document called "Living Together and your Rights if you Separate". This leaflet tells you about the law if you are living with a partner but are neither married nor in a civil partnership. It covers both same-sex (gay or lesbian) couples and male-female couples.