NEW Articles19 Apr 2024
Alliotts’ exclusive screening of The Conqueror : Hollywood Fallout
Over 90 clients and friends of Alliotts enjoy a private screening in the cinema at the Courthouse Hotel
Articles
The rights of cohabiting partners for England and Wales
The government has rejected proposals to modernise cohabitation laws in England and Wales, leaving it up to individuals to arrange their financial affairs for partners and dependents.
In August, the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee published The rights of cohabiting partners for England and Wales (Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws). Amidst all the other political excitement of that month, the report received little coverage.
The lack of media attention was a pity, as the Committee made some important recommendations about a significant proportion of the population – the one in five couples who have chosen cohabitation rather than marriage or civil partnership. The report noted that “Whereas married couples and civil partners have certain legal rights and responsibilities upon divorce or death, cohabitants receive, in general, inferior protections”. This fact is compounded by what the report called the “common law marriage myth” – the erroneous belief that after a certain amount of time of living together, the law treats cohabitants as if they were married.
The report made six recommendations for action, only one of which was accepted in full by the government. The following three proposals were rejected outright:
If you are cohabiting, the government’s message is clear: make your own legal and financial arrangements – and don’t believe that common law marriage myth.
If you require any assistance, please do contact us.
More & Other Musings
View all related contentNEW Articles19 Apr 2024
Over 90 clients and friends of Alliotts enjoy a private screening in the cinema at the Courthouse Hotel
NEW Articles16 Apr 2024
Guidance on the tax deductibility of training costs for the self-employed
NEW Articles15 Apr 2024
The abolition of multiple dwellings relief under stamp duty land tax (SDLT) will put an end to disputes about what qualifies as a separate dwelling.
NEW Articles15 Apr 2024
New calculations issued alongside the Spring Budget show just how higher rate taxpaying status is becoming ever more common
NEW News15 Apr 2024
Alliotts' supports Games London's 'Game Finance Market' event