Unmarried Couples

Unmarried couples do not have the same legal rights as married couples when it comes to property, finances and children. It is important to know there is no such thing as a common law marriage in the eyes of UK law.

Our experienced family solicitors help unmarried couples with cohabitation agreements that perform a similar function to prenuptial agreements. Cohabitation agreements clarify the ownership of shared property and other assets.

Our team of family solicitors also provide practical legal advice after a relationship has broken down or after a loved one dies.

Parental Responsibility can also be a major issue for unmarried couples. Parental Responsibility is a legal term that allows parents to make major decisions on behalf of their children such as where they live or consent for medical treatment. Parental Responsibility is only automatically granted to a woman who gives birth to a child, a father who was married to the mother at the time of birth or subsequently and fathers named on the birth certificate of children born after December 2003.

In all other circumstances a father will not automatically have Parental Responsibility. We can help advise fathers and others, such as stepparents and grandparents, of how to obtain Parental Responsibility.