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01 December 2017 / Laura Naser
Issue: 7772 / Categories: Features , Family
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International cohabitation: mi casa, tu casa?

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Laura Naser provides an update on the fall-out from the international cohabitee jurisdiction race

  • Cohabitation presents a unique set of issues regarding the couple’s foreign property should their relationship end.
  • Speed is essential in securing the jurisdiction in cases such as these.

Last month, the Office of National Statistics released figures showing that the second largest family type in the UK is the cohabiting couple family at 3.3 million families, and ‘cohabiting couple families’ is the second fastest growing family type. As the law in England and Wales, and many other countries, does not bestow the same rights upon cohabitees as it does married couples, cohabiting couples are left at risk should their relationship come to an end. Many of those couples may be unaware of the potential race ahead of them.

While the numbers of cohabiting couples increase, the world has become smaller, with a greater number of couples owning property internationally. This means that upon the breakdown of a relationship, these cohabiting couples are seeking advice about

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