Cohabitation

One in five couples in England and Wales are cohabitating, making it the fastest growing family type. Despite this fact, the current law surrounding cohabiting couples is a nightmare to navigate and can lead to big headaches if the relationship breaks down. While married couples have a wide range of legal protections in regard to finances, property and children, cohabiting couples are largely unprotected in all of these areas. The law needs urgent reform to correct this unfair situation. Francesca Skakel and Florence Paul discuss what could be done and how. This Week's Guest: Francesca Skakel (https://www.birketts.co.uk/people/francesca-skakel/) Francesca is a Family Lawyer and is devoted to providing empathy and integrity in client relations. She provides advice on a wide range of family matters, from nuptial and cohabitation agreements, through to relationship breakdown and finding a resolution for issues arising in relation to finances, children and the necessity for any protective injunction orders. Francesca’s reputation has earned her status as a Recommended Lawyer in 2023 Legal 500 rankings. As a member of Resolution (https://resolution.org.uk/members/francesca-skakel/) , Francesca endeavours to promote an amicable and constructive approach wherever possible. Your Host: Florence Paul (https://www.birketts.co.uk/people/florence-paul/) Florence Paul is a Solicitor who works in Regulatory and Corporate Defence. She works on a range of private criminal defence matters, health and safety regulatory cases, and white-collar investigations, assisting also with transport and logistics matters including road transport regulation and operator licensing.