Increasingly more couples are choosing to live together rather than get married. Recent data from the Office of National Statistics shows that cohabitation has increased by up to 25% over the last decade.
Many people believe that if they live with a partner for a number of years they will acquire rights in respect of their partners property. Unfortunately that is not the case and a partner who does not own a property could be in a difficult situation and find themselves with nowhere to live if they split up and may also not be able to take a financial claim against their former partner.
There are some circumstances where a person may acquire an interest in a property, for example, by paying the mortgage or contributing financially to an extension.
A Court making a decision regarding someone’s interest in a property would also need to consider whether the parties had a discussion about acquiring an interest in a property. Most claims against property are very fact specific, so expert advice is usually required to establish if you can pursue such a claim against a property.
If you require any further advice in this area please contact Sarah Spence on 0116 262 8596 or email sarah.spence@dodds-solicitors.co.uk
Sarah can offer specialist advice and an initial fixed fee appointment is £85.00 plus VAT.