New family team joins Manchester office of Ward Hadaway
Ward Hadaway has expanded its team in Manchester with the appointment of four new lawyers, specialising in family matters.
Whilst legal rights for married couples are widely recognised and understood, the position of couples who are unmarried but live together is more complex.
Long-term relationships which do not have any formal legal recognition can result in very difficult and painful consequences in the event of a relationship breakdown.
This is particularly the case where there are children involved and in situations where one partner has significantly fewer assets than the other.
Attempting to disentangle family relationships, property and other asset ownership in such situations is complex, costly and fraught with uncertainty.
Cohabitation agreements are a way of setting down in law where partners stand when it comes to assets and family arrangements.
They document the assets of a relationship and deal with how you will split your property, its contents, personal belongings, savings and other assets should the relationship break down.
A cohabitation agreement can also cover how you will support your children, over and above any legal requirements to maintain them, as well as how you would deal with bank accounts, debts, and joint purchases.
Before signing a cohabitation agreement, both partners need to take independent legal advice on what they are signing up to.
Our experienced family law team is there to provide clear, informed advice on cohabitation agreements for opposite sex or same-sex partnerships.
We can draft cohabitation agreements for couples to sign and we can also provide independent advice to one partner on agreements drafted by other law firms.
You will have the reassurance of having experienced legal support and advice on issues of importance to your life and financial well-being.
For more information on how we can help, please get in touch.
