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Cohabitation agreement for a couple living together (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English
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11 questions · about 5 min
Made for use in Northern Ireland
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For an unmarried couple in Northern Ireland who live together, or are about to: a written agreement on how you share the rent or mortgage and bills, what each of you owns, joint accounts and debts, and what happens to your belongings if you separate. There is no ‘common-law marriage’, so the law gives cohabitants far fewer claims than spouses. Each of you should take independent legal advice before signing; who owns the home stays as the title and any declaration of trust say.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You are moving in with your partner in Northern Ireland and want to agree who pays what.
- One of you owns the house and the other will help with the bills and the mortgage.
- You have lived together for years without marrying and want your belongings sorted on paper.
- You want a living together agreement in case you ever split up.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Date
- First partner
- Second partner
- Your shared home (house and street)
- Town or city
- Postcode of your shared home
- Who rents or owns the home
- How you share rent or mortgage, bills and household costs
- Anything else you agree for a separation (blank if nothing)
- First partner's own belongings (Schedule 1; write None if none)
- Second partner's own belongings (Schedule 2; write None if none)
Common questions
- Will a court in Northern Ireland hold us to our cohabitation agreement?
- It is a contract, and a clear agreement made freely, with full disclosure and the chance of independent advice, is the kind a court is most ready to uphold — which is why this agreement records both. It cannot take away the court’s powers over children or child maintenance. Each of you should have it read by your own adviser before signing.
- Does a cohabitation agreement change who owns our house in Northern Ireland?
- No. Ownership, and each partner’s share, follow the legal title registered with Land & Property Services and any declaration of trust — a separate document a solicitor can prepare. If one of you is to have a share in a home the other owns, or you own it in unequal shares, record that in a declaration of trust. This agreement covers the running costs and your belongings.
- What can an unmarried partner in Northern Ireland claim if the relationship ends?
- Far less than a spouse or civil partner: there is no ‘common-law marriage’, however long you have lived together. A share in a home comes only through the title, a declaration of trust or the law of trusts, and claims for children are made for the children, not for the partner. A partner may be able to claim from an estate in some cases, but a will is the safe way to provide for each other.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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