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Cohabitation: New Bill to Tackle Injustice.
21 July 2008

One of Britain’s top law makers will introduce a Bill this autumn to end the injustice and financial hardship faced by thousands of cohabiting couples, carers and siblings who live together.

The Bill will be introduced by Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC, a veteran human rights lawyer who successfully introduced the Forced Marriages Bill and was instrumental in developing the recent Civil Partnership Act.

“Sensibly drafted legislation is urgently needed to tackle the vulnerability not only of unmarried cohabiting couples and their children but also co-dependent carers and siblings who live together. It is a scandal in modern Britain that existing law does almost nothing to prevent such people from losing their home or sliding into poverty if their relationship breaks down or their partner dies,” said Lord Lester.

The Bill’s introduction is part of a new “Living Together” campaign, launched by Resolution, an association of 5000 family lawyers, and Lord Lester’s Odysseus Trust.

One in six couples in the UK co-habit and do not marry according to the Office of National Statistics and this is predicted to rise to one in four by 2031. However, the Government has decided to postpone action on recent Law Commission proposals to reform cohabitation law pending research into the cost and benefits of reforms introduced in Scotland.

Tony Roe, Resolution National Committee Member, says “Reform is vital and long overdue. So many think that they get rights simply by living with their partner and regard themselves as common law spouses but they are sadly mistaken. Common law marriage has not existed in England and Wales since the 18th Century. Britain has more than two million cohabiting couples and co-dependents and they need a just system”.

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