Government Rejects Calls to Reform Law for Cohabiting Partners
The UK government's rejection of recommended reforms for cohabitation law has met with criticism from the Women and Equalities Committee.
The Committee’s August report concluded that reform was necessary for family law in England and Wales to better protect cohabiting couples and their children from financial hardship in the event of separation.
MP Caroline Nokes, Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, criticised the government’s ‘flawed logic’. “Weddings law and financial provision on divorce are wholly separate areas of family law,” she said in a statement. “There is no reason the government should not prioritise law reform for cohabiting partners alongside this.
“Moreover, changes to weddings and divorce law could take many years. This response effectively kicks the issue into the long grass and risks leaving a growing number of cohabitants financially vulnerable.”
