Do we need a deed of trust as a cohabiting couple?
Under the current UK family law system, unmarried couples who live together (also known as ‘cohabitants’) do not automatically have the same legal rights as married couples, and this can cause particular problems when it comes to the ownership and division of property. Married couples, and those in a civil partnership, are ascribed certain automatic property rights, regardless of how much each of them contributed to its cost or maintenance. However, for cohabiting couples the situation can be more complicated if a property is not jointly owned or they do not have a declaration of trust in place. A declaration of trust details each party’s share in a property, and can be used as a way to protect the investment should ...
