Establishing Rights and Obligations of Unmarried Couples

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The number of couples living together without choosing to get married has more than tripled in the past two decades. Unless the cohabiting couple lives in a state which recognizes common law marriages, living together does not automatically provide them with the legal rights and protections of a traditional marriage. Accordingly, upon separation or death of one cohabiting partner, the law may treat the couple as complete strangers. To prevent such a result, unmarried couples can opt to legally define their relationship by entering into a cohabitation agreement, which will direct a court on how to divide property and assets among the couple...

 

 

To continue reading the rest of Alan Pearlman's informative article about cohabitation among couples, visit the Chicago Family Law Blog. The blog's homepage can be viewed here