Geraldine Morris tracks recent attempts to clarify cohabitation
- the wide-ranging definitions of cohabitation in the current law;
- the courts’ approach to pre-marriage cohabitation;
- the impact of post-separation/divorce cohabitation on spouses or civil partners in relation to financial provision, in particular periodical payments; and
- how that approach might change if a cohabitation Bill were to finally succeed.
Definitions
The Cohabitation Rights Bill defines cohabitation as two people (A and B) in a relationship, who are not married or civil partners of each other, or within prohibited degrees of relationship, and who:
- live together as a couple; and
- to whom any of the following apply:
- A and B are