The financial rights are unlikely to be as generous as those for married couples and it is likely they will recommend that unmarried couples can opt out of this new legislation.
If
there is to be a new law, it is unlikely to come in
before 2009 at the earliest. All unmarried couples need to ensure that
they clarify their financial relationships until the law changes.
Why
is it 'likely' that the Law Commission will recommend that unmarried
couples can opt out? Because otherwise they would, in effect, be making
marriage (albeit a secular civil version at least) compulsory, and that
would be absurd.
What
would make sense is a contract that comes into force if and when their
are children which would not permit an opt out. However it should be
possible for a third part to take over as party to the contract with
the agreement of one of the other two or in the case of the demise of
one.
A
similar law could apply to same-sex cohabiting couples.