Cohabiting couples

Living together and marriage: what are the legal differences?
If your relationship ends, your rights can depend on whether you and your partner are married or not. Find out more.

Rights of cohabiting couples (couples living together)
Couples living together have some rights and obligations, but they do not have the same rights and obligations as married couples or civil partnerships

Rights of same-sex couples
What are the rights, entitlements and obligations of same-sex couples.

Property rights of cohabiting couples
This page explains the property rights of cohabiting couples, for example, in relation to buying a home together, making a cohabitation agreement, applying for local authority housing, and getting legal advice.

Inheritance rights of cohabiting couples
Cohabiting couples have no automatic right to inheritance on the death of either partner. What are your rights, and find out how you can plan and make provisions for dependants.

Life insurance, pensions and civil status in Ireland
Your civil status in Ireland may make some differences to your life insurance or pension entitlements. Find out about these differences, unclaimed life insurance policies and contacts for more information.

Legal guardianship and cohabiting couples
Law regarding guardianship of children of non-marital relationships.

Custody of children and cohabiting couples
When the parents of a child separate and they cannot agree on who should have custody of the child, the court will decide. Find out about the law regarding the custody of children of non-marital relationships.

Access to children and cohabiting couples
How the courts decide arrangements for access to children for separating unmarried parents.

Redress scheme for cohabiting couples
What is the redress scheme for cohabitants and who qualifies?
This document is in: Problems in marriages and other relationships

Taxation of cohabiting couples
Find out about how cohabiting couples are taxed.
This document is in: Income tax