Eve’s story illustrates why unmarried bereaved partners need greater legal protection

June 2026

When WAY member Eve* lost her partner of seven years, she was not only navigating overwhelming grief but also the legal and financial uncertainty that can come with losing an unmarried partner. As the Government considers reforms to inheritance rights for cohabiting couples, Eve’s story highlights why proposed updates to legislation around cohabitation and inheritance are so important for bereaved families.

“I lost my partner after we had been together for seven years. We had been living together for more than six years, shared our lives, shared financial responsibilities and built a family together. Although we were not married, marriage was very much something we intended for the future. 

My partner was not the biological father of my son (who is now 18), but he took on the role of dad in every meaningful sense. He helped raise him, supported him financially, and my son called him dad. Following my partner’s death, my son lost the only father figure he had known for a huge part of his life.

When my partner died, I not only lost the person I loved, but I also lost a significant household income. Overnight, I became solely responsible for the mortgage, household bills and all financial commitments that we had previously managed together.

I also paid for my partner’s funeral. As a newly bereaved single parent, I took on that responsibility because I loved him and because I was the person who shared his life. Yet despite carrying the cost of arranging and paying for his funeral, I have no automatic entitlement to his estate, his possessions or any bereavement support. It is difficult to understand how the law can recognise the responsibility of a surviving partner in practice while offering so little recognition or protection in return.

“The law largely treats me as if I did not exist”

What has been particularly difficult is that, despite our seven-year committed relationship and the life we built together, the law largely treats me as if I did not exist.

Because we were not married and did not have children together, I was not entitled to Bereavement Support Payment. At a time when I was dealing with grief, financial uncertainty, and the responsibility of supporting my son alone, there was no recognition of the financial impact of losing a long-term partner.

My partner also died without a will. Under the rules of intestacy, under the current legislation, I have no automatic entitlement to his estate, despite sharing a home and a life with him for many years. Meanwhile, relatives who had little or no involvement in his day-to-day life may have legal rights that I do not.

The result is a situation where I have been left to carry the financial burden of maintaining our home, including the mortgage and associated costs, while having virtually no legal protection as the person who shared his life.

Failure to recognise modern family life

What I find most difficult is the complete lack of recognition of modern family life. A long-term cohabiting relationship can be just as committed, loving, and financially interdependent as a marriage. The grief, loss, and financial hardship do not become any less significant simply because a couple did not marry.

In my case, the law has failed to recognise:

• A seven-year committed relationship.
• A shared home and shared finances.
• The loss of a household income.
• The impact on a child who lost the person he regarded as his father.
• The reality that we functioned as a family unit.

My partner was largely estranged from much of his family, yet under the current law they may have rights that I do not. The people who shared his daily life, cared for him, depended on him, and built a future with him are afforded little or no recognition. This can lead to outcomes that do not reflect the reality of a person’s family life or relationships.

I am also aware that a number of other countries recognise long-term cohabiting relationships to a greater extent than the UK does. For example, in Belgium, where members of my family live, there are legal protections available to certain cohabiting partners following bereavement. This demonstrates that it is possible to acknowledge and protect long-term committed relationships without requiring marriage in every case. 

Legislation needs to reflect reality of modern living

Given the changing nature of modern families, I believe the UK should consider whether its laws adequately reflect the reality of how many people live today.

I welcome the Government’s proposals to provide greater recognition and protection for long-term cohabiting partners, particularly in relation to inheritance and intestacy. Had such protections existed when my partner died, my situation may have been very different. However, my experience highlights that there remain wider issues affecting bereaved cohabiting partners, including the lack of access to Bereavement Support Payment and other forms of recognition available to married couples.

I believe relationship length, shared financial responsibilities, and evidence of a genuine family life should all be taken into account when determining the rights and support available following bereavement.

No one should have to face the loss of their partner while simultaneously discovering that, in the eyes of the law, their relationship effectively counts for nothing.”

* Please note that Eve is a pseudonym as our member has requested anonymity.