If you are living with your partner without getting married or entering a civil partnership, or planning to do so, a living together agreement can be a good idea. This is a legally binding agreement that sets out the rights of both parties to any shared assets in the event your relationship ends.
Living together agreements are perhaps most commonly used where one party owns a property where the couple will be living. This will clear up what rights, if any, the non-owning party will have to the property, if, for example, they contribute towards the mortgage.
A living together agreement is essential if a couple who are not married or in a civil partnership buy a property together. This is especially true if one of them will be contributing more towards the mortgage than the other, as it can define what proportion of the value of the property each of them will be entitled to in the event their relationship ends and the property is sold.