Unmarried Cohabiting Partners

If you are not married, you are not covered by marriage legislation, nor do you automatically inherit from one another. Therefore, if you separate or if one of you dies, there are, unlike for married couples, no legal rules governing how your assets should be divided.

COHABITATION AGREEMENTS AND CO-OWNERSHIP AGREEMENTS

As unmarried cohabiting partners, you may face many unforeseen challenges. The termination of cohabitation between unmarried partners is not regulated by law, which is why it is important to plan for the future. In our experience, it is best to make agreements while relations are good. If you separate without having made prior arrangements, there is a significantly greater risk of conflict regarding the division of assets, property, and other possessions.

As unmarried partners, you each retain ownership of the assets you individually own if the relationship ends. This means that if only one of you is registered as the owner of a property, that person retains ownership of the property and its equity. The other partner will not be entitled to a share of the equity, even if both of you contributed financially to the property.

If you purchase real estate or valuable assets together, or if you run a business jointly, it is therefore advisable to ensure that both of you are registered as owners.

We can assist you in preparing a cohabitation agreement that sets out how your assets should be divided if you separate. For example, such an agreement can specify that all items purchased during the relationship should be considered jointly owned. This helps ensure that one partner is not placed at a significant disadvantage if, for example, one purchased the car, laptop, and television while the other paid for groceries, childcare expenses, and other household costs.

The lawyers at KROMANN Law Firm specialise in all aspects of family law and can tailor a solution to meet your specific needs. Contact us today on +45 8618 1102 and we will be happy to assist you.

WILLS FOR UNMARRIED PARTNERS

As unmarried cohabiting partners, you do not automatically inherit from one another unless you have a will. This applies regardless of whether you have children together and regardless of how long you have lived together.

KROMANN Law Firm specialises in inheritance law, and we therefore recommend that you contact us to ensure that you are protected in the event of death through a properly drafted will.