A cohabitation agreement can help to organise an unmarried couple’s legal affairs if they’re living together.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as “Common Law Marriage”. The statutory obligations of mutual support that exist in marriage or Civil Partnership don’t apply. However, a Cohabitation Agreement can be important if you have children, or one party is financially dependent on the other. One may also be relevant when there is an imbalance of finances, such as in a second relationship.

Whilst there is no legal requirement for an agreement like this, outlining arrangements for finances, property and children, these agreements can protect the rights of unmarried couples. Instead, the law of property and trusts usually contains the governing principles. There have been a number of important developments in this area over the last few decades. In that time, SME Solicitors have dealt with various complex cases in this field and have up-to-date experience with the approach the courts currently take.

Our Worcester-based specialists, Justine Lowe and Ian Stirzaker, can help to create agreements so that the rights and interests of yourself and your loved ones are protected.

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Feeling uncertain about what to do next?

We understand that this can be challenging and our experts are here to support you. Our diagnostics tools will help you to identify whether you're ready to create a Cohabitation Agreement. We also offer a one hour no-obligation initial meeting at £150.00 + VAT. We know how hard it can be to take the first step, so we promise to make it as easy as possible for you.

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Why choose our Family Law team?

Seeking expert legal advice is crucial at this time. Many aspects of family law are complex and emotionally challenging. You can be sure that we are acting in line with the Resolution standards, which means adopting a practical, non-confrontational approach to situations.

We use our experience with Resolution, as Mediators and from other areas of the law to assist you through the process. We will ensure that you are properly advised to enable you to make the right decisions and an outcome you can rebuild from.

We aim to provide you with prompt, expert advice throughout your case. During our initial meeting, we'll discuss our funding approach and our service quality guarantee.

Our goal is to achieve a fair outcome while minimising conflict and emotional distress. We also offer support through mediation or alternative dispute resolution methods, which are often less adversarial than court proceedings.

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