Family Law News - The Brighter Future for Co-habiting Couples
News
The Law Commission's proposals to give protection to people facing financial hardship when a cohabiting relationship ends have been warmly welcomed by family laywers.
Family Law experts are said to be delighted with the inclusion of cohabitation in the law reform agenda after five years of campaigning and have pledged their support for the proposals.
Many cohabiting couples believe they have the same protection as married couples if they split up just because they live together but the truth is very different. The law in the area of cohabitation has been described by some as a "shambles" as all too often, when the relationship ends, one of the partners is left with nothing. Calls for a change in the law have come about from the recent trend of people living together outside marriage increasing and a need for these couples can be treated fairly."
Family Law experts believe there should be legislation put in place to protect the financially weaker person on relationship breakdown. The proposals are based on the idea that both partners should be as financially independent as possible as soon as possible. Sometimes though, one partner will need support to enable them to re-adjust to post-relationship life."
Critics of the proposals have commented that the availability of such support will reduce the number of couples marrying but supporters have claimed that when similar legalislation has been introduced in other countries, the expected fall in marriage rates did not occur."
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