Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWill Meakin-DurrantWednesday 12 August 2026 08:00 BSTRelated: Martin Lewis issues urgent warning to unmarried couples living togetherNew proposals on relationships could inadvertently draw cohabiting couples into marriage-style commitments without their knowledge, critics have said.Under government-proposed plans, a system would be introduced to regulate financial outcomes after unmarried partners separate, while the measures would grant surviving partners the right to inherit their unmarried partner’s assets should they die intestate.Fresh polling from Survation reveals that 72 per cent of people have minimal or no awareness of these planned updates, with opinion split over whether the proposals are a good idea.Baroness Deech, a crossbench peer, said: “People don’t know about it. Not only do they not know about it, they will not have consented.”A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Unlike marriage, there would be no automatic 50:50 split of assets on separation, and people would generally keep what they legally own.”In fullCohabiting couples could enter marriage-style arrangements ‘without knowing’ amid new proposalsMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in