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Amelia faced devastating loss not only emotionally but legally and financially after the sudden death of her fiancé in his twenties, just months before their wedding. The couple had been together for over seven years and jointly owned a business, yet because they were not married and Simon had not left a will, the majority of his assets went to his parents, leaving Amelia with little recourse. She reflects, “I lost him, and then I lost everything we’d ever built together.”
Following Simon’s death, his parents inherited almost all his possessions, including his car, phone, pension, and personal belongings such as clothes and CDs, which they were legally entitled to keep. Amelia was also unable to reclaim the savings she had deposited into an account under Simon’s name to fund their wedding. Despite owning their house as joint tenants and thus retaining ownership of it, she now has to cover Simon’s half of the mortgage payments. The protracted legal battle she endured, which cost her nearly £10,000, left her feeling as if her relationship had been completely disregarded. “It felt like he was being ripped away from me again, every time something else was taken,” she says.
Currently, the legal system in England and Wales provides limited protections for unmarried couples, whether living together or in the event of separation or death without a will. The Ministry of Justice recently launched a consultation lasting ten weeks proposing changes that would grant unmarried partners stronger rights regarding inheritance and financial claims. One significant proposal includes the possibility for a surviving partner to inherit assets if their partner passes away, and for partners to claim lump-sum payments upon separation, provided they have been cohabiting for a certain period or share a child.
These proposed reforms have sparked debate. Advocates argue they could greatly benefit individuals who are widowed or trapped in abusive relationships, offering a measure of financial security not currently available. Sam Smethers, CEO of Surviving Economic Abuse, highlighted the challenges faced by victims of economic abuse under existing laws, emphasizing how difficult it is to maintain financial control or claim property after leaving an abusive partnership. Meanwhile, critics question the necessity of new legislation, arguing existing options like marriage or civil partnerships already offer legal protections, and some express concern about how an opt-out system would function in practice. The consultation represents a step toward potentially major changes in the rights of cohabiting couples, with countries like Australia and Sweden providing examples of similar frameworks. For Amelia, who has since become a qualified will writer, these reforms represent hope that fewer people will have to endure what she went through. “I really hope that nobody ever has to go through what I went through,” she says
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