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27 Living Together and Your Rights if You Separate
Download Living Together and Your Rights if You Separate (PDF File 540kb)
To download a PDF version of this leaflet click on the PDF icon above. PDF files require you to have a copy of Acrobat® Reader in order to be able to read them. This piece of software is freely available from the download pages on Adobe's web site.
1. Introduction
This leaflet tells you about the law if you are living with a partner but are neither married nor in a civil partnership. It covers both same-sex (gay or lesbian) couples and male-female couples.
There is information on:
2. How is living together different from being married?
4. Making a ´living-together agreement´
5. When you are living together
6. If you or your partner dies
7. State benefits for people living together
11. Arrangements if you have children
13. Sorting out other items you own
15. Terms used in matters to do with living together
The leaflets in this series give you an outline of your legal rights. They are not a complete guide to the law and are not intended to be a guide to how the law will apply to you or to any specific situation. The leaflets are regularly updated but the law may have changed since this was printed, so information in it may be incorrect or out of date.
If you have a problem, you will need to get more information or personal advice to work out the best way to solve it. See ‘Further help’ for sources of information and advice.
This leaflet is published by the Legal Services Commission (LSC). It was written in association with Imogen Clout, a solicitor and mediator specialising in family law.
Latest version: January 2009
