A new legal practice has opened in Bristol for non-married couples.
Emily Roskilly and Lucia Mills have launched Roskilly and Mills to advise couples on separation, wills and inheritance disputes. The team will provide cohabiting couples pre and post-separation with specialist support.
Ms Roskilly and Ms Mills saw a gap in the market post-pandemic with an increase of 9.6% in granted divorces, but noticed many couples who lived together during lockdown were unmarried and have since wanted to separate.
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Ms Roskilly said: "Common law marriage is a myth. In the legal world, there is no such thing. The truth is that married couples have greater rights than unmarried ones, and unmarried couples and those who co-own property may need specialist legal advice.
"Contrary to popular belief, when there is a property dispute, this area of law is civil law and not family law - the two specialisms are governed by different courts with different rules. When cohabiting couples separate, it is often a huge shock because one them may end up with nothing - and huge costs."
Ms Mills added: “There have been calls to reform the law in this area, however, this is currently not being prioritised. We believe the law is out of step with modern-day society and there should be increased awareness for all unmarried couples”.
As well as providing legal services, Roskilly and Mills will provide cohabiting couples help with finances, childcare, divorce coaches and well-being. The firm also provides advice in respect of will and inheritance disputes.
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