New Year and New Beginnings

A new year brings new beginnings and with this in mind, here are a number of ways our specialist Family Law team can help you embark on the new challenges that 2020 may bring:-

• Are you newly engaged?

Did you get engaged over the Christmas and New Year period? If you did then 2020 will mark the start of a very exciting chapter in your life. Whether you are intending a long engagement or otherwise planning the big day for later in the year, you may wish to consider the option of entering into a pre-nuptial agreement with your partner. Whilst the idea of signing a pre-nuptial agreement might not be a particularly romantic one, such agreements should be considered by all couples planning their wedding or civil partnerships. TSP can advise you on the issues to be considered in such an agreement and help prepare or review an agreement for you.

• Buying a home or moving in with your partner

Are you moving in with your partner this year or buying a property together? If so, then there will be a lot to organise and although we know that the last thing you really want to be thinking about is what you might do if things go wrong in your relationship at some point in the future, there are still some practical considerations you should address, particularly if you are unmarried. This is due to the fact that the law treats unmarried couples differently to married couples on relationship breakdown.  There is no such thing as a common law husband or common law wife. Regardless of the length of your relationship, you will not acquire the same legal rights and responsibilities as a married couple or civil partners. This means that if you are buying a property together in joint names and one of you is contributing more than the other to the purchase, you should  not only discuss this with your conveyancing lawyer at the time of purchase, but also consider entering into a Declaration of Trust to record how the property is owned and in what shares.

If you are moving into your partner's property or plan to live together outside of marriage or civil partnership, then you should consider entering into a Cohabitation Agreement (otherwise known as a Living Together Agreement) with your partner. Amongst other things, such agreements can set out how the mortgage repayments and household bills will be paid, how any joint account will operate, responsibility for renovations or repairs, and what is to happen to the property should your relationship unfortunately break down.

TSP can advise you on the law as it affects unmarried couples and prepare or review Declarations of Trust and Cohabitation Agreements on your behalf.

• Are you recently separated?

If you have recently separated, then 2020 may mark the start of the process bringing that separation to a formal conclusion whether by way of divorce or civil partnership dissolution proceedings. Here at TSP we can advise and represent you in connection with such proceedings, as well as help you resolve the very important and related children and financial arrangements. We can also help you in connection with entering into a Separation Agreement with your former partner.

There may be financial and property issues to address, as well as sorting out the arrangements for your children in terms of where they are to live and how much time they are to spend with both parents, all of which we can assist you with. You may be considering relocating abroad or starting afresh in a new town or country. If you have children, then there will be important considerations to address and you will need to agree those arrangements with the other parent if court proceedings are to be avoided.

If you wish to discuss any of these issues, please do not hesitate to get in touch to find out how we can help. Please call 01206 54431 for further details or email us on info@tsplegal.com.