Cohabiting couple, any rights?

TheSilentMeow

My friend has been with her partner for nearly ten years, but they're unmarried and no children between them. He recently bought a property outright but only in his own name. She used money she inherited to pay for a brand new kitchen to be installed, around £9k, and it's only been installed for about a month. Things have not been good between them recently and she's thinking they won't be together for much longer. My question is, does she have any rights at all and is there any way she can claim her money back for the kitchen if she moves out and they split up?

Thank you

lika_86

No she doesn't.

74jax

No, but if they have been together for so long and it was only 4 weeks ago that she was happy is she sure the relationship can't be saved?

Kynthia

If thry split and couldn't come to an amicable agreement on splitting any assets she would have to sue him. There are no laws/courts that I'm aware of for unmarried couples so she owns what is in her name and he owns what is in his name. An unmarried partner would have to sue using laws that apply to anyone such as contract law. So it's not about what is fair but what was agreed, paid for, can be evidenced, etc. If she wants some money from the house she will need to prove she has a beneficial interest in it. There is information online about how to do this and other information about seperation of cohabiting couples, but being able to evidence she paid for improvements to the property will help.

TheSilentMeow

74jax wrote: »

No, but if they have been together for so long and it was only 4 weeks ago that she was happy is she sure the relationship can't be saved?

There have been cracks for a long time and they've split to several times and then got back together, she's been in denial for a while, trying to make it work. He's twenty-four years her senior, has grown up children, one a year younger than her and has had a vasectomy before they met to ensure her can't have anymore and refuses to remarry. His children believe they ended the relationship some years ago, after being outraged about her being their age, so he's kept her a secret so as not to rock the boat. He pretty much knows it's not going anywhere and her biological clock is really starting to tick. Me and pretty much every other female friend she has is either getting married or having babies. She told me yesterday she feels like she's been left behind and wants to get out once and for all and meet someone she can have a future with. So, no, it can't be saved. She knows full will how foolish she's been spending her money in his property, but she wasn't in a great place.

Serendipitious

TheSilentMeow wrote: »

There have been cracks for a long time and they've split to several times and then got back together, she's been in denial for a while, trying to make it work. He's twenty-four years her senior, has grown up children, one a year younger than her and has had a vasectomy before they met to ensure her can't have anymore and refuses to remarry. His children believe they ended the relationship some years ago, after being outraged about her being their age, so he's kept her a secret so as not to rock the boat. He pretty much knows it's not going anywhere and her biological clock is really starting to tick. Me and pretty much every other female friend she has is either getting married or having babies. She told me yesterday she feels like she's been left behind and wants to get out once and for all and meet someone she can have a future with. So, no, it can't be saved. She knows full will how foolish she's been spending her money in his property, but she wasn't in a great place.

She deserves so much better than this. She needs good friends and good support.



ETA This hasn't helped with your original question, sorry.

Gingernutty

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/relationships/living-together-marriage-and-civil-partnership/living-together-and-marriage-legal-differences/

FBaby

Unfortunately, her wrong decision (to put money in the property) will be his right one (not to marry her).

She will like pay for it. He might be reasonable and pay her back, despite being dumped, or the anger will make him act in a way that will hurt her back. In this case, it leaves her with the court, but then could he argue that he also paid for things that she benefited from directly in all those years. She will most likely have a case though, but how much will she get after the court costs is another matter.

Her best bet is to manage the separation in such a way that he accepts it and agrees to give her the money back.

Diary

TheSilentMeow wrote: »

My friend has been with her partner for nearly ten years, but they're unmarried and no children between them. He recently bought a property outright but only in his own name. She used money she inherited to pay for a brand new kitchen to be installed, around £9k, and it's only been installed for about a month. Things have not been good between them recently and she's thinking they won't be together for much longer. My question is, does she have any rights at all and is there any way she can claim her money back for the kitchen if she moves out and they split up?

Thank you

Look at it a different way - It will more than likely cost more than 9k in legal fees and time and distress to get anything back. If she just walks away cleanly and has lost the 9k it was probably worth it if the boyfriend genuinely doesn't want to marry her and have children with her.
A valuable lesson before she loses anymore.

Primrose

No she has not rights to that money unless there was a signed written agreement that it was a loan. It's sad she will have to learn the lesson the hard way.

PasturesNew

If she'd not met him at all, she'd have been paying rent all these years.

How does that "saving" stack up against what she's paid for a roof over her head over the time she's lived with him? Was she paying any form of rent/part of a mortgage/something? Paying half the bills wouldn't count as, living alone, she'd have been paying more than that.

£9k is a lot of money, being an inheritance is an emotional item - but, if, say, she's living "rent free" then she'd have more than "broken even" after two years.

In a perfect world he'd be nice and write a cheque out for the kitchen ... but for her to get anything back for it she'd have to prove she paid for it and it went into his house. So she needs to at least gather than paperwork/evidence in case she has to try to take him to court for it, if that's her chosen route.