Is a live-in partner entitled to maintenance if the relationship ends?

Possibly, depending on the nature of your relationship. Courts have recognised that a woman in a long-term, stable, marriage-like live-in relationship can claim maintenance under domestic violence law, which specifically covers relationships "in the nature of marriage," not just formal marriages.

Relevant factors courts look at include how long the relationship lasted, whether the couple held themselves out publicly as a couple, shared a household and finances, and whether there were children from the relationship — essentially, whether the relationship genuinely had the characteristics of a marriage in substance, even without formal solemnisation.

A casual or short-term relationship is far less likely to qualify for this kind of protection compared to a long-term, committed live-in arrangement. Given how fact-specific this determination is, it's worth consulting a family lawyer to assess whether your particular relationship is likely to meet the threshold courts have applied in similar cases.