Relationships are never predictable – it pays to be prepared for any and all eventualities, and to use a legal team that fully grasps the complexity and compromises between you. We give accessible support that never leaves you in doubt around the process, the decisions, and the evidence we need. The more situations you can consider early on, the easier we can prepare a cohabitation agreement that holds up under scrutiny.
Sensitive advice for your
cohabitation agreement
Get similar legal status to a married couple without tying the knot. Optimal Solicitors look closely at what each of you can agree upon for cohabitation, using compassion and experience to find the best way forward.
A fast, thorough service for cohabiting couples
The mark of a serious relationship can often involve asking difficult questions about the future – including how you’ll support each other now and in the event of a break-up. Like a prenuptial agreement, a cohabitation agreement is a commitment to divide assets, funds, and financial responsibilities as you live together.
You need the perfect combination of practicality and sensitivity. Using our years of experience and personal approach, our legal team can draw up a declaration of trust for bank accounts, asset ownership, bills, and mortgage payments.
We’ll really get to know you, because we believe that every detail matters. We also work quickly so that you can get back to focusing on the present. Once you’re both happy with the terms, you can enjoy your partnership and shared living arrangements to the fullest.
Make the first move to a solid commitment
From the beginning, we’ll sit down with you and your partner’s legal team to determine what a suitable arrangement would look like. We’ll also stay in contact if you need us, updating the terms with your changing circumstances. Optimal are always here to help.
Specialists in a living together agreement
As a cohabitation agreement isn’t necessarily legally binding until it has been signed as an official deed, it’s important to get it right. We’re here to clarify and split your entitlements, deeds, and financial contributions.
Since more couples are seeking to live and raise children together without getting married, we’ve been working with an increasing number of people like you. Cohabitation agreements are a core part of our work within family law. So, we can bring other expertise into play, like aspects of divorce, child maintenance, and financial settlement cases. All of this informs and supports the decisions you’ll reach together.
When we assess your agreement, we’ll look at a number of key factors.
- Which of you has the right to a shared property, and whether the other can claim a portion of the sale for themselves if both names aren’t on the mortgage.
- Who pays for a proportion of the bills, even after one of you leaves the home.
- What happens to a joint bank account or pension access if you separate.
- Arrangements for children, such as where they live and who pays a certain amount of child support.
- The amount of money and assets that may go to next of kin should one of you die, as well as a death in service benefit from employers.
We’ve helped thousands, like you, get the best outcome
Why Optimal Solicitors?
We make legal advice simple
There’s much to consider in a cohabitation agreement – from contracts and financial statements to employment and childcare. Optimal Solicitors explain each aspect simply, so that you and your partner can have confidence in the final decision.
We fit our service around you
Finding time for important discussions like this can be tough. We’re committed to speaking, listening, and sharing information whenever and however you prefer. Let’s find a way to finalise your agreement in the most convenient way possible.
We keep our costs down
The last thing you need when working up to a cohabitation agreement is money trouble. Our reputation is built on word of mouth, not expensive referrals – so we’re able to make your claim affordable.
Do I need a solicitor for a cohabitation agreement?
There’s every chance you could forge a good agreement on your own, together. But the amount of work – and the scrutiny it demands – can be challenging. Verbal and casual written commitments won’t hold up in court if either of you change your mind later on. Working with a solicitor is your best shot at creating a complete, well-defined legal contract that is signed and passed as a deed.
What does a cohabitation agreement look like?
It’s essentially a series of contracts that have to be signed in writing with an independent witness. They’ll confirm who you both are, and describe how you’ll split any debt, capital, or financial support in the future. The agreement will ask for evidence under full disclosure – in other words, you can’t hide anything around what you own, earn, or have invested in.
How much does a cohabitation agreement cost?
Costs can vary around the UK. You’ll be looking at an estimate of at least several hundred pounds, all the way up to £2,000 or more. This figure will increase if there’s more to account for (such as a business, overseas property, or a large estate). However, the price is almost always worth it, since any dispute around entitlements could cost a lot more in the long run.
Can you act on behalf of myself and my partner at the same time?
No – that’s a conflict of interest. One solicitor should represent each partner so that we can achieve a mutual, beneficial interest. We can recommend other reliable firms if you want us to, yet we do suggest that your partner finds their own; whatever they’re comfortable with.
Are personal assets part of the agreement?
Anything that’s solely in your name cannot be included in the cohabitation agreement. You can’t, for example, ask for cash savings and inherited money. If you were married, this would be different. And it’s for this reason that cohabitation agreements are sometimes the first form of security before you marry – helping you work your way up to greater codependence.
How long does it take to draw up a cohabitation agreement?
You could have a legally binding contract in as little as a week. Complicated cases may, of course, extend that timeframe, but you shouldn’t face a long wait at all.
Find independent legal advice now
Ready to put the protections in place, and have your relationship recognised in the eyes of the law? We’re waiting for your call. You’ll receive a dedicated specialist for your case, available whenever you need them.