A large proportion of families no longer marry, but many of these relationships last a lifetime...
But for those that don't last a lifetime, the issues which need to be resolved on a separation are slightly different than for those who have been married. Usually there is a property to deal with. That may have been owned jointly,or it may have been owned in one person's name, or it may have been owned in joint names but with unequal shares,or it may have been owned in one person's name but the other person may have paid a substantial money or made some other contribution towards its acquisition. Since the 1970s, when living together became fashionable, land law has evolved to try and do justice in these situations, but it isn't easy law; its quite technical, from time to time the judges change it , and you have to know your way around it.
Children bring their own issues into an unmarried separation. They will be issues of maintenance payments, who the children live with, how the parent with residence can accommodate the children, and how the needs of the children inter- play with the property rights of the parents.
Cohabiting couples also need to make particular provision for their later years, and this applies to heterosexual couples as much as it does to same-sex couples . Usually it's wise for cohabiting couples to review their affairs in their late 50s and early 60s, to make sure that inheritance arrangements, pension arrangements, life insurance arrangements, are thought through so that the best possible protection is afforded them both in their later years and the survivor of them is well provided for . These days, for many couples, these issues intermingle with issues if Inheritance Tax planning and business succession planning.
For those who are thinking about cohabitation , and want to consider what can be done to protect themselves in the event of a subsequent separation, then they may need to think about a cohabitation agreement, which if it in anticipation of marriage, may well include a prenuptial element.
Many people who are attracted by a cohabitation agreement are those in their middle years, who have been through one unhappy relationship breakdown, suffered financially because of it, and do not want the same thing to happen to them again. We are used to dealing with these issues sensitively, and suggesting ways in which these issues can be dealt with in a manner which causes no offence or undue upset to the other person in a relationship.
We work closely with the professionals in Norwich who we regard as being the experts in their fields to help you through all these issues.