Martin Lewis warns couples who live together but 'are not married'
Martin Lewis has issued an urgent warning to people who are in a relationship but NOT married. The BBC and ITV star has issued an urgent warning to couples who cohabit and aren't yet married in the UK, amid the ongoing Cost of Living crisis.
Mr Lewis explained how in the eyes of the law, your partner won't automatically inherit anything when you die unless you have a will or another legal contract in place. He warned “Unmarried couple? That oft means diddly squat in law! Get a will, a contract, a civil partnership or tie the knot.
"So you've been together decades and have a dozen children - in inheritance law, so what? If you're not married or don't have a formal civil partnership, your relationship usually has no status. So if your partner dies, the other one may not get the house.”
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Martin explained: "Solicitors will often store your will in a safe place for free - if you're using one of these schemes, check if that's an option (you can also store it at home in a safe place). Already got a will? Check it's up to date, especially if you've married since. An out-of-date will is almost as bad as no will. It's important to note that in Eng, Wal and NI (not Scot), wills are often revoked when you get married, so you'll need a new one."
Money Saving Expert explained in its guide to Wills: "Where you're living with your partner but aren't married or in a civil partnership (which are both essentially contracts), then writing a will takes on an extra importance.
"Fail to leave a will – meaning you die 'intestate' and your estate is subject to intestacy rules – and your partner is unlikely to inherit ANYTHING from you. And don't rely on the idea of a 'common law' partner, as this is mostly meaningless in law.
"This applies even if you've been together for decades and have children."