Laws that give cohabiting couples the same rights as married couples put on hold

[AB Asks]

There has been talk that live-in couples should be given the same rights as married couples. These have been put on hold due to the worry of how much it could cost the taxpayer. More and more couples choose to live together and never bother with marriage but when relationships like this end dividing assets can be troublesome. Some people are saying that putting this idea on hold is great, and will preserve the status of marriage. What do you think? Will putting this law on hold mean people who cohabit with partners could continue to face financial hardship and stress?

[andrea81]

Well I think that there is something to think about when 'non-married' couples still do the same things that married couples do i.e. buy a house together, have kids, pay the bills, contribute to each others income!

It's a very confusing issue, but would like to know more about it!

[Booldawg]

I'm not sure what rights married couples have over non-marrieds. I thought they scrapped the tax code change for married couples a long time ago?

[Kathyan]

They did Boo, just after I got married! And they stopped the mortgage tax relief just after we bought our house!

[LoftyLottie]

Unmarried couples certainly do not have the same rights as married couples:

http://www.lawontheweb.co.uk/basics/cohabit.ht m

It's a very difficult issue with so many people having quite a few 'living together' relationships during their life. They would have to have guidelines of what constitutes a legal 'living together' arrangement, and this probably would be similar to a marriage.

[sp1214]

If there is a problem maybe couples should engage in a type of pre-nuptial agreement before sleeping together.