Living Together

Yes, assuming you want your partner to inherit from you. It is very important for unmarried partners to make Wills, as without them, the surviving partner may receive nothing when the estate is distributed.

No, so you must both make Wills. If your partner dies without making a Will, his or her estate will be distributed among his or her blood relatives in accordance with the rules of intestacy (see 'What happens if I die without making a Will?' for more information).

This will depend on the circumstances so you should speak to a specialist solicitor straight away.

Yes. The bank or credit card company can chase both of either of you for the whole debt.

Any money put into a joint account is treated as jointly owned so either of you can remove it at any time, even if one of you put in more money than the other.

Not automatically, so it is advisable for you both to draw up an Enduring Power of Attorney (for England and Wales) or a Continuing Power of Attorney (for Scotland) granting each other this right.

The law is unclear on this matter. As a result, you can fill in a 'healthcare proxy appointment form', which will inform the hospital of your medical decisions.

If  you don't have parental responsibility, you should try to negotiate with her, perhaps through a mediator, and, if that fails, you can apply to the court for parental responsibility (if  you don't already have it) and an order to overturn her decisions.

Yes. The Child Support Agency assesses all fathers in the same way.

Yes, by applying to the court for an occupation order (in England & Wales) or an exclusion order (in Scotland). You must be able to prove that your partner has been violent or that you have suffered psychological harm.

If  your name is not on the tenancy agreement, then normally, yes.

If  you've left of  your own free will, the courts may still expect you to pay your share of the mortgage, taxes and repairs, etc. but not the bills involved for actually living in it.

Yes, and the only way you can get the lover out is to force your partner to sell the property.

No, and you are particularly at a disadvantage when it comes to Inheritance Tax. If  you are married and your spouse dies, you do not have to pay tax on his estate whereas a partner does.