Couples may not check their rights if it seems unromantic

A new campaign aimed at informing co-habitating couples of their rights is being launched on Thursday.

It also hopes to correct commonly held misconceptions about 'common law' relationships.

The 'Living Together' online guide provides advice to unmarried couples on the pitfalls of the law.

Misconceptions

Among some of the other misconceptions the research found was:

• Two in three women believe they have the right to financial support from their partner if they have lived together more than five years
• Almost 80% of those surveyed think a father automatically have the right to make decisions about his child's future, regardless of whether or not he is married
• Almost half believed if one partner of a couple who have lived together for more than five years dies without a will, the other partner would automatically receive what was left behind.

The campaign is being launched by Advicenow.org.uk and marriage research charity One Plus One.

Advicenow director Martin Jones says "common law marriages" do not exist.

"It was actually abolished in 1753 but, as our survey shows, this popular expression has led people to believe that if they live together, they have legal rights equivalent to those of married couples," he said.

"This is simply not the case."

He says there are currently two million cohabitating couples in England and Wales.

Penny Mansfield, director of One Plus One, says couples need to clarify their rights even if it seems unromantic.

She says this is particularly important for new parents.

"Increasingly, couples are becoming parents without making any legal commitment to each other and without a true picture of their legal rights," she said.