Services for you & your family
Does not being married worry you?
Break-up of a relationship
The law treats unmarried couples differently from married couples. Our knowledge of this complex area of law can help you resolve your problems following break-up with a cohabitation partner.
Much can be done to protect your interests, including your financial assets.
If there are children from the relationship, we can help you to agree arrangements for them.
Cohabitation agreements
Did you know that...
- There is no such thing as a “common law” husband and wife?
- If a co-habitee dies the survivor is not his or her “next of kin” and therefore may have to go to court to claim all or any of the deceased’s estate?
- You may not automatically be responsible for any surviving children of the relationship?
- A co-habitee does not automatically acquire an interest in his or her partner’s property simply by living there for a certain period of time; and that the law in this area is so complex that some Judges struggle to make sense of it?
- Even if you own property together, you may not own it equally (especially if it was bought before 1996) and that a recent case has stated that, in certain situations, the value of that house may not automatically be shared equally between former co-habitees?
A Cohabitation agreement can help remove some of the above uncertainties. If you are going to live with a partner but not marry, it is sensible to create an agreement which records your intentions about your assets and how you would share or divide them if your relationship broke up. We can draft an agreement which states your intentions and protects your financial assets.
Client Testimonials
"Rachel Barlow has just completed the legal arrangements in respect of my divorce. The service I received was exemplary and I wanted to write to you to let you know this. I have been pretty constrained in relation to availablity to meet and most of our business has been done over email which I appreciated, responses have been very timely, updates provided regularly, deadlines hit and fees reasonable. I contrast this with the service provided by a large law firm in sheffield in the early part of the year and your approach and that of your staff to customer services, in my , sets your firm apart. Your firm, and Rachel in particular, came to me though personal recommendation by and friend and I shall be happy to do the same. As I said to Rachel I am fully aware that those working with the public ( I work for the nhs) receive alot of brickbars than bouquets, so I wanted to let you know how happy I have been with the service received. Thank you again. " - Mr C Sheffield
"Thanks for your assistance with my case, your advise has been invaluable, and I would certainly recommend Banner Jones to my family and friends. " - Mr P Sheffield
"We would like to thank our solicitor acting for us Richard, he did a great job and was very easy to speak to and very friendly. Extremley professional and we would use him again in the future. " - Mr & Mrs S, Sheffield
"I would like to take the opportunity of thanking you for your services and i can now start to move on with my life. " - Mr F, Chesterfield
