Cohabitants' Rights
According to government statistics, partnership trends show a marked increase in the proportion of people cohabiting, or couples who share a home without getting married. In 2006, in Great Britain, 13 per cent of men and women aged 16 to 59 were cohabiting. For unmarried men, the proportion cohabiting increased from 11 per cent in 1986 to 24 per cent in 2006. There was a similar change for unmarried women, where the equivalent figures are 13 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.
Although these couples may see their relationships as equivalent to marriage, they don't have the same rights as married couples in the eyes of the law. For instance, if one partner in a cohabiting relationship becomes seriously ill, the other doesn't automatically have the legal right to make medical or financial decisions on his or her behalf. And cohabitants have very limited rights in relation to the other's assets upon separation (which are largely based on interests in real property) compared to married couples upon divorce. Living together is still considered taboo in many countries, such as India, where no legal arrangements exist to protect such a partnership.
