Posted on 10/31/2006 3:26:55 AM PST by Mrs Ivan
Unmarried couples will be able to claim a share of each other's wealth if they break up under new laws planned by ministers.
Cohabitees could be entitled to divorce-style payments if they split, including lump sums, maintenance payments or a share of property and pensions.
Family justice minister Harriet Harman said: "There is evidently a problem where a couple have lived together for a long time, brought up children together, she's stayed at home so he could go out to work and pay the mortgage, and she discovers at the end of the relationship that she's left without a roof over her head."
The Law Commission proposed this year that the new rights should largely be limited to unmarried couples with children or those who had been together for a certain number of years, possibly two. Couples should also be able to opt out of the new rights system by signing cohabitation contracts which could be enforced by law.
Ministers are inclined not to impose limits as proposed by the Commission though they accept that couples with children or who have lived together for a while are more likely to be eligible for the payments. People would not have an automatic right to settlements.
Individuals would have to show they have suffered financially to a significant degree from the relationship, or that their partner had gained significantly.
Ms Harman told The Guardian that a family justice Bill introducing the changes would not be in the Queen's Speech next month but may be brought in next year.
Some Church leaders are likely to oppose the legal shake-up on the grounds that it would water down the institution of marriage.
The Church of England expressed "sympathy" towards moves to deal with the impact of break-ups on children and those who lose out financially while caring for them. However, it was opposed to new rights for unmarried couples based on how long they had lived together.
Two million unmarried Britons now live together and this figure is set to rise to four million within 25 years. Scotland introduced legislation last May to give cohabitees the right to make limited claims against each other if they part.
Critics of the law at present stress that new civil partnerships give gay couples legal rights if they split up but heterosexual couples do not have the same level of protection.
Currently, if an unmarried couple break up, a partner can claim maintenance for children but not for themselves. A share of the property from the ex-partner can be sought but the legal process is expensive and complicated.
Family courts have been accused of presiding over a "secret justice" system, with hearings behind closed doors.
Ms Harman stressed that the proposed new legislation would open up the family courts to select journalists.
In a speech to a conference in central London yesterday, she said: "It is of great concern that there is a lack of confidence in the family courts. It is impossible to defend a system from accusations of bias and discrimination if it operates behind closed doors."
BWAHAHAHAHA! "Palimony"!
Isn't this just common law marriage?
Bad bad bad idea, as bad as gay marriage laws!
More lawyer jobs and judge jobs available. Full employment for these leftist parasites. And lawyers do lean left
Pre-postnuptials?
Feeeeeeeel the love.
Exactly. In America, lawyers do more than just "lean left". Take a look at this from yesterday's National Review Online...
In 2004, according to the CRP, the oil and gas industry pumped $25 million into campaigns, 80 percent of it to the GOP. But that pales in comparison to industries and interests that fund the Democratic party. That same year lawyers gave $182 million (75 percent to Democrats) and Hollywood donated $32 million (70 percent to Democrats).
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NmE4NWY3Yjc4YmJmMDJmOGU0ZmQwNGE0MjNlMDJiZTY=
Perhaps these "ministers" ought to take a look at Shira Law to see what to do with common law "marriages." With their stupidity it will be coming soon to their country.
Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?
Sounds like it to me.
This is the primary reason gov't even tracks marriages in the first place! Ugh!
Lawyers used to be conservative upholders of the law. At worst they were dead center. But gradually the left has infected this profession and made it a refuge for wise guys, rebels, America haters and anarchists. Lawyers will go even further left since the law schools are 55% female these days. Think nanny state and men getting the sh!t end of the stick in divorce from female judges
This will be ever so much more simple.
Have a few drinks, do her a few times, piss her off, and give her all your stuff.
It's bigger than that...think about civil rights lawyers suing themselves into new laws.
Think about all the liberal government lawyers who you can get for free, to sic on your enemies who then have to spend their own money hiring defense lawyers. EEOC and various state versions of the EEOC lead the way on this perversion of justice
You are on target. The divorce industry of lawyers, judges, and professional feminists wants to expand - therefore unmarried persons must now be eligible to "divorce" thus generating more lawyer fees and more court jobs for government drones.
Solution: get rid of "no-fault divorce" aka unilateral divorce and give tax incentives for people to get and stay married. This won't happen though as long as the divorce industry profits from breaking up marriages.
What in the blue hell is goin on over there???
What in the blue hell is goin on over there???
Ooooh, oooh, homosexuals want those rights too! Don't forget about them!....
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