Family Matters - Cohabitation
Over the last 20 years or so there have been major changes in the way families are formed and how people think and feel about families. Families now come in all shapes and sizes and every family is important no matter how it is formed. With effect from 4 May 2006, the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 updates the law to reflect the way families live today.
The Bill introduces provisions that affect cohabitants - people who live together as if they are husband and wife or civil partners. The Executive has produced a leaflet called Family Matters: Living Together in Scotland that explains these changes and says more about the law on cohabitation.
The leaflet includes information on the responsibilities and rights of cohabitants towards one another, and parental responsibilities and rights towards children. It also points to further sources of information and support. Follow the link below to read the leaflet.
Family Matters: Living Together in Scotland
If you are looking for information about what to do after a death, or what happens to someone's estate (property) when they die, follow the link below to our section on bereavement.
Family Matters - Bereavement