The advice Molly-Mae and Tommy need to read when they break up
- Unmarried couples have far fewer legal rights than married people
Fans of the hit ITV reality series Love Island were likely shocked this week to hear that one of the show’s star couples, Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury, have ended their five-year relationship.
Fashion influencer Molly-Mae and cruiserweight boxer Tommy, both 25, are engaged and have a daughter, 18-month-old Bambi.
Boxer Tyson Fury’s half-brother Tommy is reported to have moved out of their Cheshire home before the pair announced their split on social media.
But what rights does an unmarried couple living together that separates have to their shared home? Does one have to pay alimony to the other? And who decides what happens to their child?
Happier times: Tommy and Molly-Mae have split after a five-year relationship. The influencer and boxer were engaged and have an 18-month-old daughter, Bambi.
Stephen Gold, a columnist for This is Money, recently wrote a series of articles that may help him find out just that.
The former judge explained exactly what the law says about the rights of cohabiting couples, which differ significantly from the rights of married couples or people in a registered partnership.
First, he outlines the risks that cohabitants should be aware of. He also discusses whether the concept of a ‘common law’ spouse is legally substantiated.
In his next column, Stephen explains how unmarried couples can create a cohabitation agreement, and why this can give them some rights they wouldn’t normally have after a split.
The agreements can cover topics such as who gets what, how expenses are divided, arrangements for children and pets, pensions, payment of a household allowance and even who does the housework.
The good news for Tommy and Molly-Mae is that it is not too late for them to draw up such an agreement – if they are both willing to do so – as this can still be done even after a divorce.
Movie stars: The couple met on the set of the ITV reality show Love Island in 2019
For most couples, the most important financial question after a divorce is what happens to the family home.
Unfortunately, it appears that Tommy has inadvertently fallen into a classic legal trap for cohabiting couples.
Stephen Gold’s most important piece of advice for cohabiting couples when it comes to property is that if one partner is not on the title deed, they should do so.
But according to Land Registry documents, Molly-Mae was the sole owner of the couple’s £3.8million Cheshire home at the time of the purchase.
Co-parents: Molly-Mae and Tommy must make arrangements for their daughter
If both cohabitants are registered as co-owners of the home, there is a good chance that the home will have to be sold after a divorce and the proceeds will have to be divided between them.
If not, things get more complicated, Stephen explains.
Finally, Molly-Mae and Tommy must figure out what their split means in practical terms for caring for their daughter.
This is an area of law where the rights of cohabiting couples are not much different from those of married parents.
In the final column in his series on cohabitation, Gold explains how they came to determine how to divide up parenting duties, where their daughter would live and how much child support would be paid.
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