Figures released on the 5th November 2015, show that cohabiting couples continue to the fastest growing family type in the UK in 2015.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS), have provided a Report showing that cohabiting couples in the UK have now reached 3.2 million. This in fact, represents an increase of nearly 30% between 2005 and 2015.
According to Resolution, cohabiting couples, currently have little legal protection when they separate. Resolution’s Spokesman on cohabitation, Graeme Fraser explains:
“Under current cohabitation law, it is possible to live with someone for decades and even have children together and then simply walk away without taking any responsibility for a former partner when the relationship breaks down. This, of course, can have a huge impact on women and children, particularly in cases where a mother has given up or reduced her work to raise a family.”
He explains, the statistics should be regarded by policy makers as a wake-up call that the cohabitation trend of modern society is not going to go away. He also explains that cohabiting couples need far more protection than the law presently provides.
Resolution have, in fact, pressed for the urgent introduction of safety-net legislation, providing more legal protection and fairer outcomes at the time a couple separate. Particular for children and mothers left vulnerable under the existing law. As matters stand, the legal position is extremely complex and it is an area where legal advice is required immediately in the unfortunate circumstances of a breakdown.
Legal costs involved in the breakdown of a relationship between cohabitees, particularly where there is property involved, can potentially be far greater than on the more standard breakdown of a marriage. For this reason and with a view to trying to resolve matters in a pragmatic and cost effective way, it is critical to get legal advice as quickly as possible if you feel your relationship has broken down in these circumstances.
