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Unmarried couples 'need more legal protection' |
Lord Lester has said he would like to see common-law couples receive more protection from the legal framework.
The Liberal Democrat peer has had a major impact on family law in the UK, introducing a private members' bill in 2002 that led to the Civil Partnerships Act two years later.
Speaking to Pink News, he described this legislation as "extremely progressive" but said more should be done to protect unmarried couples, both gay and straight.
Lord Lester told the publication that his cohabitation bill, which reached the committee stage in April last year but ran out of time, would have helped the situation.
The bill proposed giving unmarried people the same rights as married couples in the case of relationships ending due to separation or death.
He said: "There are a large number of straight couples who can't or won't marry, which leaves their children unprotected. It is absolutely essential that they should be protected."
The bill was opposed by legal academic Baroness Deech, who claimed it could lead to cases of blackmail involving former partners and ultimately undermine relationships.
Neale Grearson, family law partner in Kester Cunningham John's Norwich office, adds: "The expression 'common law husband and wife' is widely misunderstood and that is the root of the problem.
"Couples living together as husband and wife believe that they acquire rights, especially when they have children, but that is completely untrue. This is often only found out by the couple when they split up - which could be after many years of living together - and severe financial hardship or injustice can then be caused.
"The Civil Partnership Act has dealt with the registration of same sex relationships and provides rights and responsibilities akin to marriage but there is no such legislation to protect opposite and same sex relationships where there is no marriage or Civil Partnership. Greater public awareness of this is needed as well as new legislation."
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