co-habiting couples
 

Unmarried couples who split up should have the right to claim financial support from their former partners, under recommendations released today..thats the news today, what do you think?, i think yes especially if they have lived together for years!!

Re: co-habiting couples
 

didnt this used to be the case though? and they stopped it? common law husband/wife etc? but i think that was just for the house and belongings wasnt it

Re: co-habiting couples
 

i think it underminds the value of mariage

Re: co-habiting couples
 

Personally I feel that individuals should stand on their own 2 feet.

In my last long-term relationship, he moved in with me - I owned the house, already had all furniture & appliances etc., & earned more money than him, so under these new recommendations when I kicked him out he could claim financial support from me? Over my dead body!

Re: co-habiting couples
 

no agree with davo,nowt against co-habiting,thats up to them,but if you aint in the club,you shouldn't expect full membership benifits.:rolleyes:

Re: co-habiting couples
 

It's a bit of a farce in this country that marriage is seen as the best thing a family can have, with the state giving married couples benefits over non-married couples.
It doesn't make any sense at all apart from living up to dated traditions.
Couples should be able to have legal standing even if they do not wish to get married.

Re: co-habiting couples
 

If cohabiting couples were to have the same rights as married couples it would need all kinds of legislation to enable it to work, such as how long they were together, whether or not they shared one or two homes etc. At the moment people have a choice if they want the rights which each type of relationship offers, and I think that is good.

Re: co-habiting couples
 

I wasn't aware that the state has any benefits specific to married people. The married tax allowance was the only one I knew of and thats long gone. :confused:

Re: co-habiting couples
 

I didn't mean financial benefits in that way, I meant the law grants the benefit of legal standing to married couples when they break up, but cohabiting couples aren't recognised as official so don't get the same legal rights as married couples.

For me, people should choose whether to marry or not because of their views on the concept of marriage - not how much legal power they will have if the relationship ends - and so both options should have equal rights.
Garinda is right in saying that big legislative changes would have to be made but I think it would be beneficial to a more secular society, with an increasing amount of people wishing to have legally recognised relationships without the religious tags of marriage.

Re: co-habiting couples
 

i never thought marriage was about legal rights
benefits or money thought it was about commitment
loyalty and trust
this can be achieved without contracts of any kind

Re: co-habiting couples
 

turn it around n 2 single pensions equate to more than a married couples pension, so ya win that way, stop bitching n accept whats right.:p

Re: co-habiting couples
 

Depnds if one of the couple has done sod all for years and the other half has been supporting 'em.

Re: co-habiting couples
 

good point, its a minefield, that can be the case in quite a few separations,to me there should only be any legal way if there are children between the couple involved.

Re: co-habiting couples
 

ive been co habiting for the last 13 years, we have bought a house together, had 2 lovely children, allways worked,what would marriage change for us,people nowadays are only interested in the financial aspects of life instead of just getting on with it come what may

Re: co-habiting couples
 

Good luck to you both and to your kids, I hope you stay together and provide a stable family for your youngsters. It sadly doesn't work that way when a marriage/relationship breaks up, I wouldn't be happy providing for an ex-partner who had done nowt whilst I had been working full time and now came asking for a share of my earnings !
Marriage is a fine old institution but not one I will be entering again !