17 JUNE 2024
Nick Gova quoted in Edward Fennell's Legal Diary
Family Partner Nick Gova has been featured in longstanding Times columnist Edward Fennell’s Legal Diary, commenting on the Labour Party manifesto.
Discussing the failure to mention rights of cohabitees in the manifesto, Nick explains that the current law is limited to those who are married or in civil partnerships, leaving cohabiting couples vulnerable in case of a relationship breakdown.
Nick says: “Cohabiting couples are the fastest growing family type in the country, but they are completely ignored. Currently, the law only caters for those who are married or in civil partnerships. In the event the relationship between a cohabiting couple breaks down, there is very little protection available. There is no such thing as a ‘common law marriage’.”
Nick addresses situations where one partner sacrifices a career or income for the family, and also outlines how perpetrators of domestic abuse exploit this gap, trapping victims in situations where they lack the financial means to leave and rebuild their lives independently.
“There is a need to bring relationships into the 21st century. Hopefully whoever forms the UK government after 4 July will bring this back onto the agenda,” concludes Nick.
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