What would my girlfriend be entitled to?

[MrFrosty]

[ummmm]

Bm...yes. That is why I said keep everything in his name...pay it from his account...and charge her rent.

If he keeps it at that he has nothing to worry about. Don't let her buy what cannot be carried out the door basically.

[carmalee]

I replied to another post similar to this a day or two ago (not from ll-billym) - everyone thinks there is no such thing as common law wife etc but I can say with complete conviction that 'a common law wife' cost my brother's estate £180,000. Make sure you have a cast iron agreement before she moves in. Then get it double checked!

[carmalee]

sorry, that should read 'not from Mr Frosty'

[ummmm]

carmalee...did they have kids etc etc???

[boxtops]

Rachael you are wrong, completely wrong. You can live with someone without being married to them, and still be able to claim off them if you split up. If you have been contributing to household expenses, paying bills, helping with improvements - you can claim, doesn't matter which of you owned the house in the first place.

[ummmm]

No boxtops....paying the bills and such is a living expense.

With that thought....when you privately rent a property can you claim an interest in it because you paid rent and the bills....NO

Rent and bills do not come into it.......anything beyond that might.

[boxtops]

Yes ummm - I was thinking of more substantial bills, like roof repairs! It is a minefield area - MrFrosty has got a dilemma on his hands.

(BTW I saw a car in Morrisons this aft with an UMM numberplate - I thought of you!)

[Barmaid]

You need to make a substantial contribution to the actual fabric of the property. As ummm says, sharing in the bills is just living expenses. After all, you would have to pay to live somewhere.

Ummm, I've got a similar case at the moment to what you describe. Unfortunately HE is claiming that THEY agreed that if he paid £x per month he would gain a beneficial interest. She says "poppy cock" it was just his contribution to food and "rent". Unfortunately, it's going to cost her to fight him because its a factual dispute. This is a rapidly developing area of the law, despite the House of Lords thinking they had solved the problem!!

Carmalee, I can well believe it - however your case concerned a death so I suspect that what we were looking at here was a claim under the Inheritance Act (I could be wrong) as a cohabitee or dependant. That's quite different to claiming a beneficial interest in a property by virtue of contributions. However, I do agree with you and always advise - GET IT IN WRITING!!!

[boxtops]

When someone else posted about this a couple of days ago, I mentioned about getting an agreement signed up before the partner moved in - stating clearly who owned what and that neither would claim on the assets of the other if things went wrong. It sound calculating but these days, it's only sensible to safeguard assets you have worked hard for.

[ummmm]

Ok then. I stand by everything I said except the agreement.

Go to a solicitor and get an agreement drawn up.....just in case.

If you do.....don't let her pay for any extras.

Even better....don't let her move in.

[carmalee]

ummmm - no they didn't and my brother had already left her a lot in his will but she wanted it all - she didn't get it all but it cost the estate dearly.

[ummmm]

That's a different situation as Barmaid has already said....

[joeluke]

Bin her she's a gold digger

[MrFrosty]

Thank you everyone you've put my mind at rest. I won't let her move in think I know what I need to do.

[hippyhoppy]

Be careful she doesn't 'sneakily' move in by gradually leaving her things at yours and spending more time there.. before you know it she'll have her feet firmly under the table and you'll be stuffed!!! You sound like a lovely chap.. be careful..

[Dee Sa]

do you really need someone like that, if you have doubts now and she hasnt moved in, imagine how much bigger they will get if she does move in and keeps making snide remarks.Walk away now before this goes any further, her designs are on your property and your money not on you.Find yourself someone nicer than the gold digger you have now, your life will become hell.