Free Cohabitation Agreement

A Cohabitation Agreement, also known as a “Common Law Partner Agreement,” is a written contract used by unmarried couples who live together but choose not to be married.

The agreement describes their property rights and financial obligations during and after the time they reside at the same premises.

Table of Contents

• What Is a Cohabitation Agreement?
• When To Get a Cohabitation Agreement
• What Are the Legal Rights for Couples Living Together?
• Consequences of Not Using a Cohabitation Agreement
• How To Write a Cohabitation Agreement
• Cohabitation Agreement Sample
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Cohabitation Agreement?

A Cohabitation Agreement, or a living together agreement, is a written contract used by unmarried couples who live together that describes their property rights and financial obligations during the relationship and after it ends.

In particular, the agreement addresses:

• What happens to the property you acquired before the relationship if one of you passes away unexpectedly
• How jointly owned property acquired during the relationship will be divided if you no longer remain a couple.
• How will partners share living expenses?
• Any other financial or general expectations you want to put in writing before moving in together

This agreement can help describe how you and your partner will handle your day-to-day finances during the relationship, including how you will divide rent, mortgage, and bill payments.

A cohabitation agreement allows you to agree on how your property (including personal items, savings, and other assets) will be split if the relationship breaks.

As a reference, this document is known by other names:

• Common Law Partnership Agreement
• Cohabitation Agreement for Unmarried Partners
• No-Nuptial Agreement
• Couples Contract
• Relationship Contract

What’s the Difference Between Cohabitation and Marriage?

Refer to the table below to quickly see how cohabitation agreements and marriage differ from each other.

When To Get a Cohabitation Agreement

Cohabitation Agreements are used when parties explicitly agree not to be married. They do not want to be bound by state or federal laws regarding “common law marriage,” where a couple lives together long enough to be considered married by the government [1] .

Generally, the law grants no legal status to cohabitating couples who are not married or civil partners. So a cohabitation agreement is a way to determine the partners’ rights and obligations during the relationship and afterward.

Twelve states, however, do allow you to create an informal or common law marriage if the following three apply [2] :

• You both agree to be married
• You both live together as a married couple after deciding to be married
• You hold yourselves out to the public as a married couple

You can enter into informal or common-law marriages in these states:

• Alabama
• Colorado
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Montana
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Texas
• New Hampshire
• Oklahoma
• The District of Columbia
• Utah

You should use a living together agreement when you and your partner know you will live together for the long term but do not want to get married.

The contract allows you both to decide which property is separate and joint property and lays down the division rules for any property or income you will acquire.

Always disclose everything in your possession or for which you are liable. If you don’t, the court will not honor the agreement.

What Are the Legal Rights for Couples Living Together?

Despite the similarities with marriage, cohabitation agreements do not have the same legal protections as a married couple. You should be aware of the rights of unmarried couples living together to be sure you’re making the right choice.

Property Rights

If you’re an unmarried couple thinking of getting a cohabitation agreement, the good news is you can still legally protect your property once you’ve moved in together. When you create the document, you can have provisions that clearly state the following:

• What property is separate – this can be currently existing property or future property
  • Declaring this is crucial when one person owns the house.
• What property is joint, and what is the percentage of common property owned by the respective partners
• How joint property will be divided during the cohabitation period.
• How joint property will be divided in the event of a breakup
  • For unmarried couples, you can create a property settlement agreement to clarify the division of property in detail.

With these kinds of terms about property, a cohabitation agreement is similar to a roommate agreement or a prenuptial agreement. You won’t have to have the court settle matters about the property, which can be costly and time-consuming.

Some couples would like to purchase property together. But a cohabitation agreement does not have the same property inheritance rights you’ll find in a marriage.

Both of your names must be on the deed to ensure your partner can receive the property in the event of your death. This grants both of you “joint tenant with survivorship rights.”

If you don’t do this, the court will proceed under ‘tenant in common’ rules and give the ownership rights to whoever is listed in the deceased partner’s will or their blood relatives.

Financial Rights

Cohabitation agreements can also outline the financial rights and responsibilities of the relationship. Like property rights, the document can mention how financial assets will be distributed between partners.

These assets can refer to either party’s income and how partners will handle expenses. The agreement can also have provisions about using checking accounts and credit cards, which, if clarified, can help avoid arguments later.

To have the same financial inheritance rights as a married couple, you can list your partner as a beneficiary of any relevant financial assets. For example, you could list your partner as your bank, retirement, or life insurance account beneficiary.

A cohabitation agreement can also include terms about financial support after separation. If the partners agree, a higher income partner may provide the other partner a form of spousal support called “palimony.”

However, in some states, a partner can pursue palimony in court, even if it wasn’t mentioned in the agreement. The judge must consider the circumstances and certain factors, such as whether children are involved and each partner’s financial position.

Consequences of Not Using a Cohabitation Agreement

Some situations could leave either party at a disadvantage without a cohabitation agreement in place. It isn’t uncommon for couples to make joint purchases together.

But if both your names are listed on deeds, lease agreements, or purchase agreements, you could be forced to assume your partner’s debts if the other partner cannot pay.

For example, you could be responsible for paying any outstanding rent and utility payments, debts relating to household goods, and personal items.

Living together does not create a contractual relationship by itself nor grant you a property settlement (or inheritance) should you break up or if one of you passes away unexpectedly.

How To Write a Cohabitation Agreement

Step 1 – Fill in the information of both parties

The first step in writing a cohabitation agreement is filling in the parties’ information. This includes writing down their:

• Names
• The address the parties are currently living in or intend to live in
• Date of writing the agreement
• Governing state

Step 2 – Include the current circumstances.

This section typically refers to whether any children from previous relationships are involved. You should specify if there aren’t any kids. If there are, you need to write down their names and ages.

You should also clearly outline the obligations of each parent to their children. Unless a court order of adoption is obtained, the agreement assumes each person is responsible only for their children.

Step 3 – Establish an effective date

Discuss with a partner and decide when the cohabitation agreement will come into effect.

Step 4 – Provide information regarding the property

You can list the property you acquired before becoming a couple that should be treated as separate property – including financial assets, household goods, vehicles, and other items.

Any property listed as “separate” in the Cohabitation Agreement will not be divided with the other person if death or separation occurs.

Your shared property, or joint property, is a property that both parties jointly own. These will be divided between both parties upon death or separation. Both parties can agree upon how this property will be divided before signing the agreement.

Step 5 – Include any information about debts (optional)

Although not required, listing your debts lets you clearly detail who is responsible for which debts.

Without a Cohabitation Agreement, you could be forced to assume your partner’s debts if you split up.

For example, in California, domestic partners are legally considered financially responsible for the debt of the other during the relationship and at its end, just like spouses. That means you could be on the hook for outstanding rent, utility payments, and debts related to your partner’s household goods and personal items.

You should also specify any shared debts you andy, our partner have. Typically, shared debt occurs due to a joint purchase secured by a joint loan for items like a vehicle or home.

Step 6 – Specify household contributions

Shared living expenses can be divided, with each party paying different percentages or dollar amounts, depending on the situation. You can also include information about whether joint accounts will be used and the ownership interests of purchases made through that joint account.

Step 7 – Include termination terms

You should provide terms about how the agreement can be terminated.

Step 8 – Sign the agreement

Once you have filled in the other sections, both parties should sign the agreement so it becomes a legally binding contract.

What your Cohabitation Agreement Should Include

A simple agreement should generally have at least the following:

• Who are two people living together and entering into the agreement
• What the agreement covers, including how bills and other expenses will be split, lists of joint and separate property, and how property will be divided if the relationship ends
• Where is the agreement being executed, and which state laws apply
• When the deal takes effect, either when both move in or at the time of signing
• Why specific properties should be considered separate or jointly owned
• How the parties want to divide and dispose of any property in the future.

In addition to these, the cohabitation agreement should mention the following terms:

• Effective Date: when does the agreement take effect
• Full Disclosure: you must agree that, before signing the agreement, you both had the opportunity to examine your partner’s financial situation, including net worth, assets, holdings, income, and liabilities
• Independent Legal Advice: the courts will only uphold the agreement if you both had the opportunity to consult with qualified legal counsel before signing the agreement
• Agreement on Payment of Expenses: before moving in together, decide how to split expenses when living together. This can include rent, mortgage payments, utilities, groceries, and other regular costs.
• Lists of Separate and Joint Property: this is where you define in the agreement to keep property separate. List property you acquired before becoming a couple and want to keep as separate property—including financial assets, household goods, vehicles, and other items. Similarly, list property owned jointly with your partner as joint property, which will be divided between you upon death or separation.
• Effect of Separation or Death: any property listed as “separate” in the living together agreement generally will not be shared with the other person if death or separation occurs. In contrast, any property listed as “joint” will be shared with the other person. If you want your partner to have inheritance rights, you should clarify this wish in a will.
• Effect of Marriage: spells out whether the agreement continues in effect, ends upon marriage, or will be revised before the wedding.

Cohabitation Agreement Sample

Below we provide a sample from our cohabitation agreement and downloadable PDF and Word templates.

Frequently Asked Questions