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  • Cohabitation Agreement Solicitors

Cohabitation Agreement Solicitors

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If you are planning to move in with your partner, but do not currently have plans to get married, we can help you put a Cohabitation Agreement in place that makes it clear what each of your financial responsibilities are.

Your Cohabitation Agreement can cover a range of issues, including:

  • Who pays what share of the rent or mortgage
  • Who is responsible for paying which bills
  • How you plan on using a shared bank account
  • Who is responsible for any debts you incur while living together

Cohabitation Agreements can set out the financial terms of your relationship in a clear and transparent way, potentially preventing these issues from causing problems in the future. If you have personal assets you want to protect, such as investments, property or assets overseas, a Cohabitation Agreement can help you to keep them safe.

The best time to put a Cohabitation Agreement in place is before moving in together, but if you're already living with your partner, you can still set one up - maybe you want to formalise things now you're more settled, or maybe your circumstances have changed and now you want that extra peace of mind.

We're recognised by independent legal guides Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 as one of the country's leading family law firms. Having spent decades representing couples in all aspects of family law - including high net-worth cases that successfully challenged and changed the law - we're ideally placed to help you get the protections you want in your relationship.

We are a national law firm that offers a personal, one-to-one service, giving you all the information you need in a clear and transparent way, without using jargon. If you want further guidance on whether a Cohabitation Agreement could work for you and how we can help, please call us on 0345 604 4911, or contact us online and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

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Ros Bever National Head of Family Law Meet the team

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Cohabitation Agreements - More Information
    • How Much Does It Cost?
    • Every case is different and much depends on how complex your situation is.

      We offer an initial consultation where we discuss your personal circumstances and share advice on how best to proceed. After this, we usually send you a note with everything we discussed and an idea of how much we expect your case to cost.

      If we are unable to do so at that point, we will tell you what steps need to be taken to give us a clearer picture.

      We will tailor our approach to suit your budget as much as possible, and we are always upfront and transparent about the costs you may be facing. We never undertake work you haven't asked for and always work hard to get you the best possible result.

      For more information about our services, or to talk to one of our family law experts about your situation, call us on 0345 604 4911 or contact us online and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

"Ros Bever is an excellent lawyer who is passionate about getting things right."

Chambers & Partners, 2019

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is A Cohabitation Agreement And Who Should Consider One?

A Cohabitation Agreement sets out terms on how you and your partner will share finances, childcare and other important things during your period of living together. If the relationship ever breaks down, it can be used to inform how you separate shared finances and assets.

Cohabitation Agreements can cover a range of issues, including:

  • The repayment of your mortgage and how this is affected by factors including incapacity, lack of employment or if one of you unexpectedly comes into a sum of money
  • Who is responsible for bills and debts
  • Financial support during or after your relationship
  • The division of money and personal possessions
  • Child support, custody and access rights

If you are planning on moving in with your partner, or are already living with them but are not married, then a Cohabitation Agreement could be useful. By making your financial responsibilities clear from the start, you may be able to prevent these issues from causing disagreements in the future.

You can revisit a Cohabitation Agreement at any time during your relationship, making changes to existing terms or adding new ones. This should provide you and your partner with peace of mind should anything change in the relationship, such as having children.

We have decades of experience in family law, providing a clear and transparent one-on-one service to our clients. It has prompted independent legal guides Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 to name us one of the UK's leading family law firms.

If you think we can help you set out a Cohabitation Agreement with your partner, call us on 0345 604 4911 or contact us online and we'll get back to you as quickly as possible.

Read More... Read Less...

What Happens If We Later Get Married?

If you decide to get married, you and your partner will enjoy the extra legal rights applied to married couples, and the Cohabitation Agreement will no longer apply. However, the original Cohabitation Agreement could be used as evidence of what you and your partner wanted from your financial situation, should the marriage later break down without you being able to reach an amicable financial settlement.

We have years of experience dealing with family law, covering everything from Cohabitation Agreements to high-profile divorce cases where we have successfully challenged and changed the law. For expert advice you can trust from one of the country's leading family law teams, call us on 0345 604 4911, or contact us online.

Read More... Read Less...

Is There A Minimum Length Of Time You Need To Have Lived Together?

No, in fact, many couples find it best to set out a Cohabitation Agreement before moving in together. This can help to set the living arrangements off on the right foot, before problems regarding finances or responsibilities have a chance to develop.

You can create a Cohabitation Agreement after moving in together, and change one at any time depending on how your circumstances change. Cohabitation Agreements are tailored to your specific circumstances, so if at any point you're unhappy with yours, you can have it amended as a couple.

For specific advice on your case, and how our leading family law experts can help you, call our team today on 0345 604 4911, or get in touch online and we'll get in contact as soon as possible.

Read More... Read Less...

I live in Scotland, can Irwin Mitchell help me?

Our expert family law team works with a number of trusted partners to help our clients with family law issues in Scotland.

We’ll be your point of contact and manage the entire process for you throughout. You’ll get frequent progress updates and we’ll break down any legal jargon into plain English so you’re always in the loop.

To find out more about how we can help, give us a call on 0345 604 4911 or contact us online.

Read More... Read Less...

Related Information - Cohabitation Agreements

Prenuptial Agreements - Prenuptial agreements can protect you, your family and your assets in case of the unexpected Read More
Property – We can help with a range of matters, including joint ownership of a property Read More
Child Maintenance - Make sure your children get everything they need after a relationship breakdown Read More
Wills & Estates – It is important to update your will when your family situation changes Read More

Awards & Accreditations

We're always proud to be recognised for the work we do for our clients and have been named as a leading firm in the latest legal guides - which provide information and recommendations about lawyers and law firms in the UK.

Chambers & Partners 2020 logo
A Quality Service
The team are very approachable, available to answer questions and to offer support"
Legal 500, 2020
A High Level Of Service
They consistently endeavour to offer a high level of service to their clients"
Chambers & Partners, 2020

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Fast friendly and efficient service from Sheffield team all dealt with electronically due to distance with buying on south coast... The price quoted was fair, fixed and compared favourably against other large firms. Would definitely use again and recommend to anyone.


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