Family Law
Live-in Relationship
A relationship where a man and woman cohabit and share a domestic life together without formally marrying, which courts have recognised for certain limited legal purposes.
While live-in relationships aren't marriages, courts have recognised that a woman in a long-term, marriage-like live-in relationship can, in appropriate circumstances, claim protection and maintenance under domestic violence law, treating such relationships as covered by the phrase "relationship in the nature of marriage."
Legal recognition for other purposes — such as inheritance — remains far more limited compared to a formally solemnised marriage.
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