Common law marriage was abolished in this country in 1753, but the myth persists; more than half of co-habiting couples think they have the same rights as a married couple after living together for a certain period of time. They don’t.
Now that gay couples have the right to register a civil partnership – conferring the same legal rights as a marriage - are unmarried couples being discriminated against under the law?
To discuss, Woman's Hour is joined by Anne Barlow, Professor of Family Law and Policy at the University of Exeter, and by Jennie Bristow, Commissioning Editor of Spiked online and author of Marriage and Commitment in Singleton Society.
Cohabitation Marriage and the Law- Social change and legal reform in the 21st Century by Anne Barlow et al is published by Hart ISBN: 1-84113-433-3.
Marriage and Commitment in Singleton Society by Jennie Bristow is published by the Institute of Ideas ISBN: 1904025021
