Unmarried Partner?

Unmarried Partner? Beware Massive Tax Sting

Think not having a ring changes nothing legally? Think again. With no spouse exemptions, when unmarried or common law partners pass away and leave assets behind, the taxman can swing a heavy hammer even if there's a will.

Without careful estate planning, the surviving partner faces huge inheritance tax bills plus losing their shared home. Partners have zero rights on death, will or not. Children or relatives often inherit everything unless expressly stated otherwise.

Even long-term partners owning property jointly discover assets pass to the deceased partner's estate. Courts uphold the deceased's will or strict intestacy rules.

Bottom line - don't get stung by losing a fortune or your home. Unwed couples must plan rigorously via wills, trusts, deeds, and more. Seek expert guidance now, or expect a catastrophic tax pillaging later no matter what the will states.

No Such Thing As “Common Law” Spouses
It’s a surprisingly prevalent myth that if you live with your partner long enough in the UK, you automatically attain “common law” marital status. Unfortunately, this isn’t legally accurate and leads many couples dangerously astray in securing rights and assets.

There is no such actual concept in British law as a “common law husband or wife” - even if you’ve cohabited for decades. Marriage or civil partnership are required for partners to have binding rights. When one half of an unmarried couple passes on, the survivor often finds themselves totally unprotected.

That means no inheritance tax breaks, pensions rights, or even guaranteed ability to remain in the couple’s shared home. Every protection and privilege hinges on legal spousal status. Regardless of how long or committed an unmarried couple has been, in the eyes of the law you're essentially total strangers with no obligations to each other if not wed.

So “common law” is a fictional term - and more importantly relying on it can cause financial and practical devastation later in life if you discover it's misplaced meaning too late.

This is why it is absolutely critical for cohabiting unmarried couples to take legal steps to protect one another - including writing binding wills, establishing power of attorney privileges, and exploring property protection trusts. No matter how long you've been together, you must formally document your wishes legally.