50 signatures reached
To: The government
To get Common law partners recognised in law
To get the Government to urgently grant the same rights to common law partners as to married people.
Why is this important?
Common law partners can lose everything unless a will is drawn up. They are also not recognised as being the next of kin regardless of how long the have lived together. People have lost their homes when a partner has died rendering them homeless.
I wanted to raise this as an issue that is being ignored at the moment because people are concentrating on the number of deaths from Covid 19. I have heard numerous announcements of a partner or a partner and children being left when a loved one dies.
If a partner dies intestate then their partner gets nothing and that can be devastating particularly if the deceased owned the family home. All assets would go to the next of kin, child, parent and so on leaving the partner who shared their lives with no rights at all. We are living in the 21st century and we have antiquated laws that do not acknowledge common law partners
Last year my husband was asked to be executor of a will the amount involved was anything from £1000000 to £3000000 to be left to his partner of 50 years if she survived him or to Newnham ladies college Cambridge. Unfortunately he died before his will could be drawn up leaving his partner with nothing.
A family member lost her partner a few weeks ago. She knew something was wrong because he didn't phone when he said he would. The police refused to give her any information because they were not married. She had to contact his son to try and get information that she received 6 hours later. She has not been allowed to see him because the person claiming to be next of kin wouldn't allow her to. Within 24 hours they were collecting his belongings some jointly owned and have been disposing them. They have also been given wages owed plus death in service payments. They want all his belongings from the property they have shared for 16+ years. It is a truly appalling situation.
Weddings are not taking place because of lockdown and have those involved have probably not thought about leaving a will and more importantly don't have the next of kin status. Many have shared their lives and homes for many years. It is time the law was changed to identify common law partners in law in the same capacity as those who are married. Losing a partner is hard enough without losing your home and identity of being in a partnership.
I hope that you are able to help highlight this problem and in turn help to get the law changed as a matter of urgency. Our own Prime Minister currently has a common law partner and she should also be protected in law.
I need your help to get the law change urgently to prevent families being affected by Covid 19 from losing not only a loved one but their home and their identity of being a partner.
