 The checklist advises on shared items, bank accounts and debts |
Cohabiting couples need to be more aware of the importance of sorting out their finances when they split up, legal advisers have said. Married couples are covered by law but there is little guidance for unmarried people with shared commitments.
Many delay taking action because of the turmoil, says website Advicenow, which has created a step-by-step checklist.
It details the action required on issues such as shared possessions, housing, joint bank accounts and debts.
The downloadable list is part of the LivingTogether campaign, funded by the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
"Certain things will cause acute problems in the future if they are not tackled at the time of the break-up," said Advicenow's Mary Webber.
"Discussing practical issues with your partner can be difficult, but it really is essential and it will avoid ill-feeling in the future."
Legal minefield
A review of the rights of unmarried couples in England and Wales is being launched next month by the Law Commission, which advises the government on law reform.
 |  People think they have the same rights as their married counterparts but they don't  |
The review will look at the financial disadvantages faced by unmarried cohabitants whose relationships end by separation or death, and the knock-on effect on them or their children.
Family law specialist Miranda Green said the rights of married and unmarried couples were "very different".
Women in unmarried couples who gave up their jobs to look after children often did not realise they had no automatic entitlement to maintenance for themselves, she told BBC Breakfast.
"People think they have the same rights as their married counterparts but they don't and it's really a legal minefield for people who just live together," she said.
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