Cohabitation and the law: an overview There is no uniform system regulating the legal consequences following the breakdown of a relationship between unmarried parties, be they heterosexual or gay relationships. The present state of the law is unsatisfactory and in urgent need of codified reform. THE CURRENT remedies following the breakdown of a relationship fall into the following categories: Contract •On 17 April 1999 The Times reported a case brought by a surveyor who presented a bill to his former partner following the termination of their three-year relationship. The claimant had kept a record of each and every item of expenditure which he had laid out during the relationship. Mr Parker's claim extended to £18,000, stating the monies advanced were a loan. The court ordered that Miss Holdsworth repay the sum of £10,000 to Mr Parker. At the end of the case, Miss Holdsworth said 'my enduring concerns will be for other single mothers and....relationships founded upon mutual trust'. With more and more people deciding to cohabit as opposed to formalising their relationship by marriage, cohabitation agreements are becoming more common. There is, however, no statute confirming that co-habitation contracts are enforceable. However, provided they are made at arms length, by parties of equal bargaining power with full knowledge of all the relevant facts and having taken independent legal advice, they are likely to be upheld. There must be consideration for the agreement which is satisfied if the agreement is in the form of a deed. Read on .... >