Cohabitation Solicitors
With all the excitement of moving in with your partner, the need to sign a cohabitation agreement beforehand will be far from your mind. And the thought of you ever having a cohabitation dispute may also seem far-fetched, especially if you’ve been together for years.
With an increasing number of couples choosing to live together outside of marriage, it’s important that cohabiting couples are legally protected. Unfortunately, cohabiting couples are not legally protected in the same way that married couples or those in a civil partnership are.
Drawing up a cohabitation agreement is a smart, practical step that could save you significant time, money, and stress should the relationship end. It also helps to avoid the risk of a cohabitation dispute should your relationship end and you can’t agree on how to divide your shared property or assets.
How our cohabitation solicitors can help
Our specialist cohabitation solicitors can help draw up a legally sound cohabitation agreement which protects both parties. We can also advise on cohabitation disputes, should the relationship break down and an agreement is not in place, or it is being disputed.
Cohabitation agreements
When it comes to equal rights to property and belongings, many couples think they’re protected under ‘common law’. In reality, this legal status is a myth.
If you’re not married, it’s important to consider a cohabitation agreement as soon as you move in together. A cohabitation agreement is a legally binding agreement which couples who live together but are not married or in a civil partnership can put together. It allows cohabiting couples to enter into a legally binding contract which covers things such as household finances, ownership of the property and what happens to any shared money or assets should the relationship break down.
Our specialist solicitors can talk you through the process as well as draft a cohabitation agreement, which is agreed by both parties and will be legally recognised.
Cohabitation disputes
When cohabiting couples break up, there can be issues and disagreements over who gets to stay in the property or who keeps which assets. However, without a cohabitation agreement, there is no record of what has been agreed upon about how assets get shared.
Our cohabitation dispute solicitors in Bristol can discuss your situation in detail and advise on the next steps. We usually start by looking at how the property is owned, i.e. in sole name or joint names, and take it from there. Our specialist TOLATA solicitors can also help make an application to the court should you remain in disagreement about how property or assets are distributed.
Declaration of Trusts
A Declaration of Trust provides peace of mind when co-owning your home. By drawing up a Declaration of Trust, you can specify how the property would be dealt with if your and your partner’s relationship ended.
A Declaration of Trust can also be used when one party’s name is on the Land Registry title, but another party or parties will have an interest in the property.
Our Declaration of Trust solicitors in Bristol and South Gloucestershire can ensure that all likely issues will be considered and accounted for, and that you are legally protected should your relationship break down.
Contact our cohabitation agreement and dispute solicitors in Bristol and South Gloucestershire
Our family law solicitors advise people all over the UK from our offices across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, located in Bedminster, Bishopston, Bristol city centre, Kingswood and Thornbury.
To talk to our specialist family lawyers about putting together a cohabitation agreement or a Declaration of Trust, or if you need advice on a cohabitation dispute, call us on 0117 325 2929 or fill out our online enquiry form.