Is a common law wife just an old wives tale ?

There are many people who choose to live together without getting married or becoming civil partners.

The idea of ‘common law marriage’ is a bit of folklore that permeates many peoples thinking. The belief that they will automatically benefit from legal safeguards if their relationship breaks down or one partner dies is quite wrong.

Their relationship with each another has no legal standing, and they have no special status in English law.

If you do not have a Will, as you are not related, should one die their estate will pass to their immediate family under the intestacy rules, rather than to their partner (except their share in the home if they are joint owners and hold as joint tenants). The surviving partner cannot get involved in administering the estate either.

If you do have Wills, do they suit your circumstances as unmarried partners?

Whatever a common law wife may have meant in the past it will not give the surviving partner any help should either one of you die intestate.