Property Law
Unlike married couples, unmarried couples (cohabitees) have no basic rights to their partner’s property, pensions or to maintenance if they split up. Basically what is his is his and what is hers is hers and what is jointly owned needs to be divided. This applies to the family home as well. Therefore if a house is bought in joint names whether it is registered at the Land Registry as beneficial-joint-tenants or as tenants-in-common then it should be split accordingly on separation, and either party may seek to force the sale of the property to release their share.
Often when a person decides to move in with their partner, the property remains in the sole name of the original purchaser and the other person contributes financially towards the mortgage and bills. Many people do not realise that when the relationship breaks down how difficult it may be to prove the existence of any agreement between the couple and the legal impact such payments may have should the relationship break down. In the absence of any agreement, one party may find themselves without any legal protection. In such circumstances we strongly recommend you seek legal advice on a Cohabitation Agreement which can be drawn up to meet your personal needs.