Wills for cohabiting couples
If you live together but aren't married, the law doesn't recognise your relationship.
There is no such thing as a 'common-law spouse' in England & Wales. We've checked. The law doesn't care how long you've been together, whether you share a mortgage, or whether you have children together — without a will, your partner inherits nothing. A will is what changes that.
Built for
Living together. Not married. Not in a civil partnership.
Velati's questionnaire branches around your situation. The questions you'll answer — and skip — were designed specifically for cohabiting couples.
The reality
What the law actually says
Under the rules of intestacy, an unmarried partner has no automatic right to anything you own. Not the house. Not the savings. Not the things in it. Your estate passes to your blood relatives in a strict order — parents, siblings, then further out — even if you haven't spoken to them in twenty years. Your partner can apply to the court under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 if they've lived with you for at least two years, but that means a court case, in grief, with no guarantee. A valid will avoids all of it.
What Velati does for you
Three things, deliberately, well.
01
Leave your home to your partner, properly
We walk you through how the property is owned (joint tenants vs tenants in common) and what that means for your will. If you own as tenants in common, your share doesn't pass automatically — your will decides it. We make that explicit.
02
Account for the people you love
Children, stepchildren, godchildren, parents, siblings — everyone who matters. We screen for anyone who might have a 1975 Act claim and prompt a letter of wishes where it strengthens your decisions.
03
Plan for guardians, if you have children
If you have minor children together, you can both appoint each other as guardian — and then a backup. Without a will, the court decides, even if your partner is the surviving parent.
A worked example
What your will actually says, in plain English.
Before you pay anything, Velati shows you this screen — your will, written so you can read it. This is a non-personalised example for cohabiting couples. Your real review will use your real names and decisions.
Plain-English review
Your will, in plain English
This is what your will actually does — written so you can read it without a lawyer.
For the will of
Maria Catherine O'Brien
Clause 01"Everything I own goes to Sam first."
Your partner Sam Reynolds inherits your whole estate — the flat, the savings, the contents of the house. If Sam dies before you (or within 30 days of you), the gift passes to your two children equally instead.
Clause 02"If something happens to both of us, my sister becomes guardian."
If you and Sam both die before your children turn 18, your sister Hannah Reynolds is appointed legal guardian. The court will respect your choice unless there's a serious welfare concern.
Clause 03"My godson Oliver gets £2,000 specifically."
We set this aside as a pecuniary legacy — a fixed cash gift — paid before the rest of the estate is divided. Oliver's parents administer it on his behalf until he turns 18.
You'll see this screen before you pay. Nothing is final until you've read it.
Common questions
Things people ask before they start.
We've been together fifteen years. Doesn't that count for something?
Legally, no. England & Wales has no recognised concept of a common-law spouse. Time together carries no weight under the intestacy rules. A will is the only document that gives your relationship legal effect on death.
We own the house jointly. Doesn't my partner just get it?
It depends on how you own it. Joint tenants — yes, the survivor takes the whole property automatically. Tenants in common — no, your share passes by your will (or by the intestacy rules if you don't have one). Most cohabiting couples don't know which they are. We help you find out.
What about my pension?
Most pensions are paid out under a 'nomination form', not by your will. We remind you to update yours alongside making your will — it's the second most-missed thing after the will itself.
Not quite your situation?
Read the page that fits you better.
Make a will built for the relationship you actually have.
Twenty minutes. £95. Done before bedtime.