Advice on Co-Habitation Rights
New rights and obligations relating to couples that live together were introduced by the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 which came into law in January 2011.
Prior to the introduction of the Act cohabiting couples had little or no rights or obligations with respect to each other. It is important for couples living together to understand these new rights and obligations but it is also important for couples to be aware that it is possible to contract out of the Act. Cohabitants (couples living together) do not possess the same legal rights and obligations as married couples or civil partnerships.
