San Diego Cohabitation Agreement Lawyer
While some people are pushing off marriage until later in life, many couples choose to live together without ever getting married. The number of unmarried couples living together has increased dramatically in the 21st century. One study shows that 7% of U.S. adults live together as unmarried partners.
Unmarried couples in San Diego, CA, don’t have legal protections afforded to married people, but cohabitation agreements give them a way to address important financial issues during or after the relationship. No matter what type of relationship you have, you have a right to protect your financial interests and plan for the unexpected.
Sachdev Family Law, APC helps couples work through all types of family law issues, including prenuptial, postnuptial, and cohabitation agreements, divorce, child custody, child support, and much more.
We have over 20 years of experience helping people with complex legal problems during difficult and emotional times. Call our San Diego, California, law office today at (619) 866-3756 for a free consultation or for further information about cohabitation agreements.
How Can Sachdev Family Law, APC Help With Cohabitation Agreements in San Diego?
Our attorneys understand the difficulties that come with discussing financial issues with a partner. We are well-equipped to help you through even the most complex planning issues.
Our founding attorney is a Certified Family Law Specialist, a trained family law mediator, and she was the first family law attorney in San Diego to become a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. Our legal team is compassionate and dedicated to making you feel confident about your financial future.
When you hire our San Diego family law attorneys to handle your cohabitation agreement, we’ll:
- Talk with you to get a comprehensive list of your and your partner’s assets
- Help you prioritize and set goals for your cohabitation agreement
- Facilitate communication with your partner
- Help you think through future financial issues
- Draft a comprehensive cohabitation agreement that covers all of your goals and anticipates future developments that may affect your financial situation
- Review existing agreements that you and/or your partner may have
- Help you understand all your legal options and legal implications of financial decisions
A cohabitation agreement is smart financial planning, and it doesn’t have to be a touchy subject. We’ll help you through every step and make sure you have an agreement that puts your mind at ease. We offer free consultations to get you started, so call now to talk with a member of our team.
What Is a Cohabitation Agreement in California?
A cohabitation agreement is a legally binding contract that addresses various financial issues between two people who are living together. Cohabitation in this context generally refers to couples in a romantic relationship. It’s sometimes referred to as a “live-together” agreement.
A cohabitation agreement may be used to clarify financial responsibilities during the couple’s relationship and to define how property will be divided if the relationship ends or one of the partners dies. Cohabitation agreements are generally limited to financial matters.
What’s Covered in a Cohabitation Agreement?
Every cohabitation agreement will be a little different because each is customized to cover financial issues specific to the parties to the contract. Married or not, couples may own property or get bank accounts together. They’ll have to file taxes and make employment decisions. A cohabitation agreement can reduce uncertainty about major financial decisions.
It should address any property and financial topics and can include things like:
- Who’s responsible for paying bills
- How income and expenses will be shared
- How real estate will be titled
- How vehicles and other personal property will be purchased or titled
- What happens to gifts or inherited property obtained during the relationship
- Decisions regarding having or adopting children
- How childcare responsibilities are divided
- Child support arrangements in the event of a separation
- Who gets the house in the event of a separation
- Requirements to mediate or arbitrate in the event of a dispute
- Details regarding estate planning
- Whether both partners will work or if one will stay at home if the couple has children
- How child tax credits or other tax issues will be handled
- Beneficiary designations on life insurance policies or retirement accounts
A comprehensive cohabitation agreement protects both partners and can reduce the risk of tension down the road.
Why Do I Need a Cohabitation Agreement?
To protect your assets in the event that you separate from your partner. Unlike marriage, there’s no legal process involved for ending the relationship and no defined rights for either party in an unmarried partnership. And unlike marriage, there are no laws that guarantee certain rights to you if your partner dies.
A cohabitation agreement can protect your assets and can establish ownership rights of shared property. Going through the process of creating a cohabitation agreement can also give you the opportunity to address other important issues that unmarried couples face that are often overlooked. This can be to give your partner authority to make certain decisions through a power of attorney or a medical directive.
Get Help From Our Cohabitation Agreement Lawyers
Like many people, are you living with your partner in San Diego and don’t plan to get married? Don’t be caught off guard in the event the relationship comes to an end or your partner suddenly passes away. Without proper planning, you can end up in a world of financial troubles.
Sachdev Family Law, APC can create a cohabitation agreement between you and your partner that will give you peace of mind and protect your assets. Call today to learn more and for a free initial consultation.
