I’m breaking up with my partner who I’ve lived with. Do I need legal advice?

Not all relationship break-ups when two people live together need legal advice.

It may well be that you and your partner are able to come to a satisfactory arrangement between the two of you regarding any assets and property.

This is always the first port of call and an attempt to reach an agreement should be tried before involving solicitors. However, if you are worried about the way your partner wants to divide those assets or think that he or she is doing it unfairly then you may want to consider getting legal advice.

Most people think that unmarried couples who live together will eventually gain similar rights to those who are married. In England and Wales this is simply not the case. In the case of a dispute when an unmarried couple break up, the law says that each party should keep assets in their own name. However, it is often not that simple.

We would strongly advise that you seek legal advice before starting to separate financially as starting to separate financially without the correct legal advice can complicate matters further.

There is no specific area of law designed for cohabiting couples. This means that this area of law can be highly complex and we recommend that you get legal advice from a firm of specialist solicitors if you are going through a break-up and are not sure where you stand financially.