Cohabiting couples may get new inheritance rights

Couples who are not married but who have cohabited for five years or more or who have children together may soon have new inheritance rights.

The Law Commission, which aims to ensure the law is fair, modern, simple and cost-effective, drew up the proposals.

If they go ahead, cohabiting couples would have the same legal entitlements as those who are married or in civil partnerships, which the commission acknowledged was controversial.

They are intended to lessen the financial hardship that people can endure when their partner dies without a will.

Elizabeth Cooke of the Law Commission commented: "When a family member dies, the process of grieving and of adjustment to change, can be made far worse by uncertainty and anxiety about money or belongings."

She added that it is crucial that the law remains up-to-date and reflects the reality of modern British society and expectations of those who have been bereaved.
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30/10/2009 14:25

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