• By Steven Hayes
• Published 11/1/2012

Living with your partner is wonderful. However, before you move in with your partner, make sure to gather some information about the legal rights regarding partners living together. For this you need to get in touch with a competent solicitor who has the specialisation of family law.

The agreement between two unmarried partners who want to live together is known as Cohabitation Agreement. This agreement handles the matter of property division lest the partners split in the future. It may seem harsh to bring up the matter of splitting at the beginning of the relationship. However, it is important that you get these matters settled before taking the final decision.

If you are wondering why you should opt for such an agreement, you should consider some important things. There are some questions which you need to clarify before you decide to live together with your partner. Do you know who will get the apartment you two are living in? Do you know what will happen to the inheritance tax? Have you considered the fact that in case you are living in a rented apartment your name needs to be on the lease agreement? These are the confusions which the living together agreement will clear up. However, for this you need to seek legal assistance from a competent family solicitor.

The solicitor will tell you what the agreement should cover up. In case you are not aware of the legal rights you have, the solicitor will explain the law regarding unmarried partners’ right and also prepare the paperwork which will be required for this agreement.

Normally, the agreement covers financial matters like who will pay the rent of the house in case you live in a rented apartment. The agreement will also include who will handle the maintenance of the apartment. In case a dispute regarding home selling takes place in the future, the solicitors will include the circumstances under which the house can be sold.

Time brings changes and relationships are no exception to this rule. Either your relationship will grow stronger and take some deeper turn or it will fall apart. However, in both the cases the agreement requires to be updated. Once again you need to seek help from a solicitor and redraft your agreement. Keep in mind that in case the partners decide to get married, the agreement will not be effective anymore.

Redrafting the agreement becomes necessary in case of a child birth. The agreement will clear the matter of who will bear the cost of what. In case one of the partners becomes physically handicap, the agreement needs to be changed too.

There are some benefits of this agreement. It helps straightening up the financial matter. With the agreement, you will be able to sort out who pays what bill. In case the partnership breaks down, the agreement will be a good and wise idea.

However, regardless of living together agreement or prenuptial agreement, you are required to hire a competent Prenuptial Lawyer with specialisation in family law. Make sure to check the success rate and the qualification of the lawyer before hiring.

Author Bio: Steven Hayes is a professional consultant who offers advice on a wide variety of issues. He provides a brief overview of the Cohabitation Agreement and the rights of the unmarried couple.

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