Succession: Cohabitation
Commons · Question 129715 · Tabled 24 Apr 2026 · Ministry of Justice · Official record
Answered 29 Apr 2026
Question
Asked by Josh Babarinde
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps to modernise the Inheritance Act to reflect a) common law partners and b) common law partners whose marriage plans were underway before one of those partners passed away.
Answer
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones, 29 Apr 2026
There is no legal status of “common law partners” in England and Wales. Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, cohabitants (where they were living together as if married or in a civil partnership for at least two years) may ...