|
Married, civil partnered, or not
- the legal differences
Many
people (61%, according to a recent survey*) mistakenly
believe that simply living together can give you the
same rights as marriage. They believe that 'common-law
marriage' is a recognised legal status. They are wrong.
Others believe that
by having a child together they acquire legal rights**,
whether married, civil partnered, or not. They too are
mistaken.
Only couples who
get married or register a civil partnership will acquire
legal rights and responsibilities in relation to each
other.
We
often don't check out our rights because it seems unromantic,
untrusting even, to raise legal and financial issues.
But exploring the common 'what
ifs …' - those situations that may leave us
vulnerable - before difficulties arise, puts couples
and families on a more secure footing.
Whether
you are married, civil partnered or not, on these pages
you will find the facts you need to explore the tricky
issues.
For
more information about research, policy and statistics
on cohabitation and marriage visit One Plus One's online
Information
Centre on Relationships.
If
you would like to work on your relationship with your
partner, whether you're married or not, you might like
to visit thecoupleconnection.net.
The site provides information on relationships as well
as social networking, interative graphics and exercises
to help you understand your relationship and make things
better.
*The
LivingTogether Survey was commissioned by Advicenow.org.uk.
Supported by the Department for Constitutional Affairs
and conducted by NEMS Market Research, the survey asked
1,000 randomly selected people about their perceptions
of the legal issues surrounding cohabitation and marriage.
The survey was carried out during June 2004.
**In
a recent study, One Plus One sought to find out what
unmarried parents know about their legal rights and
examined the impact of providing legal information on
knowledge and behaviour. The full report, Informing
unmarried parents about their legal rights at birth
registration can be downloaded from www.oneplusone.org.uk
|
