It's difficult enough to manipulate your other half into wanting to live with you but discovering you can barely afford to move in together makes it nearly impossible. When I say 'barely afford' I mean our combined income is pretty close to that of a graduates.

As a family lawyer, I have often had to break the news to clients that they do not have the ability to claim any financial support against their ex-partner, even if they've been living together for years. So what are the key facts that couples living together should be aware of?

The release of official data on divorce has, in recent years, become an eagerly-awaited event for social trend-spotters, politicians and family lawyers alike.

I was thrilled to attend the launch of The Marriage Foundation at Middle Temple Hall on Monday. I had expected those invited to consist mostly of family lawyers but I couldn't have been more wrong...

The noble sentiments which lie behind the Marriage Foundation's own foundation also appear to be a bold attempt to reverse recent trends. A third of marriages which do take place in England and Wales don't last 15 years.

Catching sight on television this week of the Cheltenham Festival in full flow, I was struck by the pictures of the race course thronged with cheerful...

The only way to ensure that your wishes are adhered to - whether you're married or not - is by having a will. It might not surprise anyone that I firmly recommend them but the countless difficulties experienced in cases on which I have advised where no will was present, make all too clear how the time spent putting in place a clear plan for your assets, is very well spent providing peace of mind for you and your family.

An estimated one in six people are now cohabiting with their partner as the number of married couples in England and Wales continues to decline. Da...

Cohabitation agreements were in place before the recent ruling. Recording your intentions and those of your partner might seem unromantic, just as prenuptial agreement might seem cold and contractual to some. However, they have the potential to assist the often unpleasant picking apart of a relationship that can inflame already raw emotions.

The childhood fantasy of meeting the man, or woman, of your dreams, having an extravagant wedding, then settling down to have children in your dream home, appears to be less sought after now.