Do I need to have a cohabitation agreement?

If you are living with your partner but you are not legally married, you may wonder about what your rights would be in the event that your relationship breaks down. If you do not officially own the property that you live in, but your partner does, for example, you may worry that you will have nowhere to live and no right to the home that you have together.

It is for reasons like these that cohabitation agreements are put into place. They help to give security to those who are living together but not married. Whether you should put one in place will depend on your individual circumstances.

Deciding whether you need a cohabitation agreement

Typically, cohabitation agreements are a good solution for those who are in long-term relationships and share a large amount of property and assets but who have no intention of getting married. They could also be useful for those who share a home but do not have a romantic relationship.

What should be included in a cohabitation agreement?

The contents of a cohabitation agreement will depend on your particular concerns. You may want to lay out an agreement on how property should be divided in the event of separation. You may also want to put in place directives on how pets should be cared for after the separation, or what would happen in the event that one of you passes away.

If you want to learn more about cohabitation agreements, you should take the time to understand how the law would apply to your particular situation. While you may not need a cohabitation agreement, it will give you valuable peace of mind.