... as married couples they should get married. Therefore this essay will examine the extent to which cohabiting couples are treated the same by law as married couples, and what legal reforms are currently proposed that will effect them. 'Cohabitation' has been defined in the Family Law Act 19961 as "a man and woman who, although not married to each other, are living together as husband and wife". However it is important to note that this definition is limited, as it does not acknowledge several other types of cohabiting couples, such as same-sex couples. There has been a significant increase in the rate of cohabiting couples in recent years; according to the 2001 Census, the number of cohabiting couples has increased by 67% in the last 10 years, and according to the Law Commission Report 307 (2007) cohabitation is "expected to become more prevalent in the future"2. It was also revealed in ...

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