My partner and I are living together, but we are not married. Unmarried couples are not treated the same as married couples in all situations. But there are some things you can do to avoid problems that might come up. For example, if there is a medical emergency, a hospital may let one person consent to treatment for the other only if the couple is married. An unmarried couple can solve this problem by having each partner sign a form called a power of attorney that says that the other can give consent for medical care.
Most stationery stores have power of attorney forms.
There may also be a problem in deciding who gets the property when an unmarried couple separates. If you are living together, it is a good idea to have a written agreement about property you each had when you moved in together or that you buy afterward. If you are buying a house or land together, you should probably talk to a lawyer first. My partner and I have a child together. With unmarried couples, the answer depends on whether the father is legally recognized as the child's parent.