Moving in with Your Partner

More couples than ever are living together before marriage or choosing not to marry at all.  We have experience in advising clients on the agreements they enter into before they live together.  We are creative in our thinking and ensure our advice is tailored to your best interests.

Cohabitation agreements  are becoming more popular and, when buying property together, a Declaration of Trust is indispensable.

Crucially, there is no such thing as a “common law marriage”.  Unmarried couples who live together do not have the same rights or obligations as a spouse or civil partner, regardless of how long they have lived together or whether they have children.

We can advise you about the legal implications of moving in with your partner and how best to protect your interests, particularly in relation to property.

We work with our Real Estate and Private Client teams to give you legal protection and certainty. A Declaration of Trust will set out exactly how you and your partner own the property and how your respective shares will be calculated on sale. The aim is to provide certainty and prevent any disputes in the future.

Our Private Client team can advise you in relation to tax, wills and succession planning.