There are more unmarried couples living together in the UK than ever before. 2012 figures from the ONS show that 5.9m people are currently cohabiting in the UK – more than twice as many as in 1996 and 2 million more than ten years previous.

‘Common law’ husbands and wives aren’t recognised by the legal system

With so many couples living together without getting married, perceived wisdom is that they become ‘common law’ husband and wife, and therefore enjoy the same rights as a married couple. A public survey in 2008 confirmed this: over half (51%) of those surveyed thought that this was the case.

However this is a myth. Unless they’ve signed a legal cohabitation agreement, common law couples won’t share the same rights as married couples on a number of issues, including:

•    Inheritance – the law doesn’t automatically allow bereaved common law partners to inherit from each other.
•    Inheritance tax – provisions for increasing the inheritance tax threshold are in place for married couples, but not for a ‘common law husband and wife’.  
•    Co-owning assets – if, for instance, property is paid into by both common law partners but only in the name of one, the other partner may struggle to recover the assets that they would be entitled to in a marriage.

What is a cohabitation agreement?More...

Recent research has unveiled a new societal trend, one which directly opposes the accepted norms. Those who grew up in the much vaunted 1960s and experienced firsthand the emancipation of social and sexual restrictions are now at the spearhead of another revolution; that of divorce after retirement.

According to the latest figures, those over the age of 60 are getting divorced more regularly than any other age group in the UK. In the past year alone there have been 15,275 divorces recorded for those over the age of 60, which represents a staggering 50 per cent increase on the figures for the year 2000.  

These figures show just how dramatically the social sphere of pensioners has changed, primarily a result of a dramatic increase in living conditions. More...

Following their introduction in 2005, well over 120,000 people have entered into a civil partnership. However, the latest statistics show a considerable rise in the number of gay couples seeking a dissolution to their civil partnership. So, is the honeymoon period coming to an end?

Recent research shows that during the last year alone there was a 20 per cent rise in the number of gay couples seeking to dissolve their civil partnerships, only 8 years after their introduction.

Statistics from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that there were 794 dissolutions for the year 2012, of which 60 per cent were between lesbian couples. More...

Due to the higher than average levels of stress associated with their jobs, it is perhaps not surprising that divorce rates where one partner works in the police force are twice the national average. The physical danger and conflict which is inherent in their jobs can have a lasting impact on their relationships, and matters can quickly deteriorate.

If a police officer is going through a divorce or separation, the desire to protect the pension they have worked so hard for understandably features highly on their list of priorities. This is precisely why they should seek the best possible advice from a legal team who take the time to stay on top of the latest new pension regulations and matters such as pay and rent allowance.      

Police pension schemes More...

It is a common myth that you are not able to file for a divorce if you do not know where your spouse is living at the time. It is a relatively widespread misconception that if people wait for five years then they are able to file for a divorce without their spouse being any the wiser, but this is not the case.

Officially, for your divorce to be completed, the court requires that your spouse is either served with the divorce, or you must prove that you have done everything in your power to find them without success. 

Your attempts to locate them can be evidenced by contacting their:

•    Friends
•    Relatives
•    Last known employer
•    Bank or building society
•    Trade union or professional organisation More...