A cross-party group of MPs is urging the government to confirm its plans for cohabitation reform, following a 2024 manifesto pledge to strengthen legal protections for women in cohabiting relationships, as reported by The Law Society Gazette.
Labour MP Andy Slaughter, chair of the House of Commons Justice Select Committee, has written to Lord Ponsonby, the minister responsible for family justice, requesting a clear timetable for reform.
Slaughter acknowledged that campaigners welcomed Labour’s commitment but expressed disappointment that the issue was absent from the King’s Speech. “The lack of rights for cohabiting couples means millions of people—often women and the most vulnerable in our society—are at serious financial risk,” he said.
Campaigners have long been told to wait, Slaughter noted, adding that the previous government deferred reform until marriage and divorce laws had been reviewed. However, he argued that these are separate issues and should not delay progress on cohabitation rights.
He highlighted the Women and Equalities Committee’s report, which stated that wedding law reforms focus on marriage ceremonies and do not address cohabitation. Similarly, changes to financial remedies upon divorce have no bearing on the rights of unmarried couples. Slaughter also pointed to a 2007 Law Commission report that recommended a distinct financial remedy scheme for cohabitants rather than granting them the same rights as married couples.
Slaughter reminded Lord Ponsonby of a parliamentary roundtable on cohabitation law reform that he attended last year. “As you would have heard, the current law places cohabitants, especially vulnerable women, in precarious and often unfair positions, leaving many without financial security or limited legal recourse,” he said.
He stressed that the government must act to ensure the law reflects modern society and family structures, urging ministers to move forward with long-overdue reforms.
