The Court of Appeal has rejected a claim by a heterosexual couple that their civil partnership be recognised. The law provides civil partnership only for same sex couples whilst it now provides marriage for both same sex and heterosexual couples. Marriage and Civil Partnership gives those couples legal security both as regards the death of one of them or the breakdown of the relationship.
If you are in a committed relationship but choose not to marry or a same sex relationship and choose not to marry or enter a civil partnership, what then?
At John Hodge Solicitors members of our family team are experts in assisting cohabiting couples whether to establish legal security in their relationship by Cohabitation Agreements or trust arrangements around property ownership or at the breakdown of such a relationship by providing advice on the options then available.
The best advice is prevention rather than cure. Resolving financial and property matters at the end of cohabitation can be difficult, uncertain and costly. Talk to us about putting matters on a secure footing at the outset by having a Cohabitation Agreement and/or Declaration of Trust drawn up. Our colleagues in the Wills department can advise as to appropriate arrangements in the event of one person’s death.
The Government have been given more time to consider whether making Civil Partnerships available to heterosexual couples, even if they do you might not consider them right for you.
Are you in a cohabiting relationship? Do you know what would happen financially if your partner were to die or the relationship breakdown? If not then we can help. We offer free initial appointments in all of our offices and we have clinics available in Weston-super-Mare on 1st Saturday each month and in Bristol on the 3rd Saturday of each month.