If you and your partner are about to move in together, don’t forget to talk about your finances.
There’s no doubt there are more exciting things than money to sort out when you move in together. But make sure it’s on the list - somewhere.
You’ve found a place to rent or buy, you’ve worked out that you can afford it and you think there will be enough room for your clothes and his tecchy toys (or vice versa). That’s a good start, but there’s plenty more to sort out. If you’ve been dating but kept your finances separate this may be the first time you’ve had to contemplate pooling some of your money and/or paying bills jointly. You don’t have to draw up a legal contract the moment you move in but don’t assume your partner will have the same ideas about money as you do.
Couples who live together have very few rights, but a 'living together' or legal agreement can protect your position.
Drawing up a legal agreement when you move in together may not be romantic, but it could prevent arguments over who gets what if you split up.
Every year thousands of couples move in or buy a house together but many have no idea about how little protection the law gives them. You can live together for 20 years and – if you live in your partner's house – find that you’re not entitled to anything when you split up (even if you've been paying towards the mortgage). In Scotland, the situation is slightly different, but there’s still no automatic right to a share of your partner’s property. So, if you want to protect your position, you should consider drawing up a legal agreement.
No ring, no rights. Why living together is not the same as marriage
Around two million couples live together, but many don’t understand how few rights they have
Despite the fact that an increasing number of couples choose to live together, there's a lot of confusion about the rights of cohabiting couples. If you live with your partner in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you have very few rights indeed (it's a bit different in Scotland and it's covered in a separate article). The government has looked at the idea of giving couples more rights, but decided to shelve plans in 2008.
