Published on: 29th March 2021

Cohabiting (unmarried) couples - three surpises and a shock!

We get a number of questions from Clients who are cohabiting (unmarried) about how to most effectively manage their Estate Planning. There are a number of common misconceptions when it comes to couples who live as cohabiting (unmarried) partners. In this article we have a few facts about Estate Planning for cohabiting couples that may surprise you and one shock!

Which status does not exist?

Single person / Married couple / Separated married couple / Common Law couple / Civil Partnered couple / Separated Civil Partnered couple / Divorced person / Widowed person

Surprise number one : The status that does not exist is Common Law couple

What percentage of the UK population live as cohabiting (unmarried) partners?

Surprise number two : According to the ONS it is over 13% of the adult population.

What does the surviving cohabiting (unmarried) partner inherit from a deceased cohabiting (unmarried) partner who died “intestate” (without a Will)?

Surprise number three : Nothing.

If you are a cohabiting (unmarried) partner it is crucial that you create a Will if you want any assets to go to your cohabiting (unmarried) partner.

And now for the shock. Even if you make a Will you can, as a cohabiting (unmarried) partner, give up to £130,000-00p of inheritance tax to the Government completely unnecessarily.

Casey & Associates has over one thousand clients who are cohabiting (unmarried) partners who are all benefitting from specialised Estate Planning advice.  

If you are in this situation or need any Estate Planning, Estate Administration or Grant of Probate advice please call our friendly and experienced Client Services team on 01732 868190 or contact us using our website by clicking here.

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Our Covid-19 policy is now that if you wish to give instructions or require general information about our Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney or Trusts then we will carry out a telephone or Zoom appointment. However, if you wish to give instructions to one of our Consultants and you feel that you can only do this at a Face to Face meeting we are offering, at our Consultant’s discretion, a limited number of Face to Face appointments in most of the areas we normally cover (subject to Government advice). To see the areas we normally cover please click here. To arrange an appointment please telephone 01732 868190 or click here.

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