Break-up Club: Cohabitation and separating as an unmarried couple

Cohabiting couples are the largest growing family type in the UK. Cohabitees are unmarried couples living together without having the legal formalisation of a marriage or a civil partnership. The most recent figures from 2021 suggest that there are 3.6million cohabiting couple families, although it’s likely this number is much higher now.

Whilst this is a common family type, the laws around cohabitation are far more vague than those for married couples or civil partnerships. The ‘common law marriage’ is a myth, which means that cohabiting couples don’t have the same protections as married ones.

Separating and going through family breakdown can come with additional complications if you’re not married, particularly financially.

In this Break-up Club, our team of panellists will be answering your questions around cohabitation laws and separating as an unmarried couple.

In the webinar, panellists will explore:

· The myth of the common law marriage

· Laws around cohabitation

· Children and separation

· Finances and separation

If you have any questions around cohabitation and unmarried couple separation, or a particular scenario you find yourself in, please email divorcecoaching@stowefamilylaw.co.uk and we’ll try to cover it.

As usually, there will be a live Q&A at the end of the session.

Meet the speakers

Ciara Pugh

Ciara is a Senior Associate at Stowe, who will be our host for the Break-up Club. Ciara is based in London and covers all areas of family law, and is also qualified in Northern Ireland. She has expertise in financial remedy proceedings and child arrangements (including international relocation). She has extensive experience in dealing with family breakdown among cohabitees, representing unmarried parents needing financial provision after separation.

Ciara’s practise is varied but she keeps each client’s unique needs at the heart of her work. She works with clients to create a clear strategy. She is empathetic whilst remaining pragmatic. She is described by Legal 500 as ‘a complete joy to work with’.

Tom Nash

Tom Nash, aka Mr Divorce Coach, is the UK’s premier Male Divorce Coach, and regular relationship expert commentator in mainstream media: The Times, ITV, BBC, iNews & more.

Association for Coaching Diploma accredited Coach & Coach Trainer.

Master Practitioner in NLP, Timeline Therapy, Hypnotherapy.

Working with men, women & couples through one of life's most emotionally challenging and physically draining situations… Divorce/Separation. He helps clients to step off the emotional rollercoaster and become unstuck.

A child of divorced parents from 3 yrs old, and later in life as the ex-husband of his own divorce, as well as the co-parent & step-parent of his own blended family, Tom knows first-hand the journey you and your children are on.

Tara Lyons

Tara is a Barrister at Pump Court Chambers. She specialises in financial remedies cases, children law and contentious inheritance disputes. She is the head of the Cohabitation team at Pump Court, regularly representing clients in high-net-worth cases. She has extensive experience in Schedule 1 Act claims for financial provision for children, as well as Trust of Land disputes.

Tara is a fully accredited civil mediator and private FDR judge and has experience resolving cohabitation disputes in these capacities.

Tara is highly recommended in both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners. She is also the co-host and founder of ‘The Family Law Podcast’.

Ciara Pugh

Tom Nash

Tara Lyons