Let’s cohabit and not get married?

Cohabitation is the fastest growing family type in the UK with almost 4 million couples cohabiting in 2021.

However, this is a huge problem as most people mistakenly believe that cohabitation (which some refer to as a common law marriage), gives the same rights as a married couple. This is wrong.

Cohabitation gives no general legal status

If the cohabiting couple break up, they must rely on the general law to resolve disputes: for example, if not named on the title deeds of their home, such disputes can be difficult and expensive and often result in an unsatisfactory outcome.

A cohabitation agreement setting out what is to happen in the event of a relationship breakdown is a good way of protecting the parties and should always be considered. Such an agreement should include what is to happen to joint property, mortgages & loans, savings and investments etc if the cohabiting relationship ends.

Although it is possible to write your own cohabitation agreement there are pitfalls that need to be avoided so it is sensible to enlist qualified help and to keep the agreement under review in the event of a material change in circumstances.

At Divorce Solutions we help people navigate the legal maze and stop them making expensive mistakes

Mediation for divorce

With the head of the family courts estimating that 20% of marriage break- ups are wrongly ending up in court, mediation provides a good cheap and quick way of reaching a divorce settlement.

Wherever possible we encourage mediation, but some parties are naturally nervous about trying a process they don’t understand and where they may feel on the back foot, particularly where the other party is controlling or financially more astute.

We mediate, but even where we are not involved because a third party is mediating, parties have found that it helpful for us to coach them and prepare them for the process and help them formulate a plan to achieve their objectives.

We are a team of non-practicing lawyers acting instead as divorce consultants to help people navigate the legal maze and stop them making expensive mistakes. We use our experience of the divorce process to find solutions to lower the temperature and save money.

Divorce – try almost anything before turning to the courts

Separating couples should “try almost anything” before turning to the courts, the president of the Family Division has said, arguing that there has “got to be a better way”.

Sir Andrew McFarlane said that “far too many families” simply turned to the court rather than seeking “less harmful, swifter, cheaper and potentially more enduring ways of resolving their disputes”.

At Divorce Solutions we look at those better ways. We help people navigate the legal maze and stop them making expensive mistakes. We use our experience of the divorce process to find solutions to lower the temperature and save money.

If you know someone who may benefit from speaking to us, please do contact me. We don’t charge for an initial consultation.

Have you got clients who are concerned about the delay and mounting cost of resolving an ongoing divorce dispute?

As a result of Covid, the wait for a court hearing date is worse than ever so, just like opting for private medicine instead of the NHS, did you know that they can avoid the court backlog by ‘buying’ a private hearing?

Whilst not for everyone as, just like private medicine, there is a cost implication, this is just one of the many divorce options that we believe clients should be aware of.

We help people navigate the legal maze and stop them making expensive mistakes. We use our experience of the divorce process to find solutions to lower the temperature and save money. We use established but little-known processes some of which do not even involve a solicitor! If you know someone who may benefit from speaking to us, please tell them to contact me. We don’t charge for an initial consultation.