Update 12/02/2026

I have managed to secure a meeting with local MP, Tom Hayes. I am scheduled to meet with him 16/02/2026. 

Please sign, share widely, and encourage others to do the same. Your support genuinely makes a difference.

Petition details

I have been in a 22-year relationship with my former partner, which has been marred with both coercive and violent abuse, with the violence primarily directed at our daughter.

The violent abuse escalated from February 2023, when my former partner threw a remote control at our daughter, bruising her forehead. The situation reached a tipping point in October 2023, when I called for help, resulting in a much-needed intervention from social services. I was subsequently verbally attacked by my former partner for "reporting" him, and the relationship deteriorated further.

In May 2024 I finally build up enough courage to ask for a separation which was met with much relieve from our daughter. Her mental health has improved immeasurably since making that decision.

In 2010, when our daughter was 2 years old, my former partner purchased our family home outright without a mortgage. Since he was not employed, I covered largely all living expenses for the next 14 years. This arrangement made sense to both of us at the time, as it was our shared home and lives. He explicitly didn't want me to take out a mortgage as it made more sense that we, as a family, lived loan free.

After separating to protect my daughter and myself, I've discovered that the law fails to acknowledge my role in our shared life. The current legislation offers no automatic safeguards for cohabiting couples upon separation, regardless of the circumstances. To claim a financial stake in our home, I must either depend on my former partner's “goodwill” or pursue a complicated and expensive legal process under TOLATA.

The "goodwill" offer was originally half the increase in the house’s value since purchase, which at best represents half of my financial contributions over the past 14 years, whilst securing my ex-partner to recoup the full original purchase price of the house, plus interest.  There is little or no regard for my ability to house our daughter and myself.

Armed with the knowledge that marriage law doesn't apply to our separation, my ex-partner frequently implies financial threats as part of the continuous controlling abuse. He is perfectly aware that with the law favouring him, it makes it very difficult for my daughter and me to move on without an agreed settlement. 

Over the past decade, the number of cohabiting households in the UK has risen by 26%, now reaching nearly 3.3 million. However, UK laws have failed to keep pace with the evolving nature of modern relationships. Individuals who spend years living with and contributing to a household can find themselves unfairly disadvantaged if the relationship ends, as the legal system does not sufficiently account for the complexities of unmarried domestic partnerships.

Lawmakers should urgently re-evaluate current legislation regarding property division for cohabiting couples upon separation. We need laws similar to those in Australia where courts have discretion in dividing property based on various factors, including each person's contributions during cohabitation.

The outdated cohabitation laws require immediate reform to reflect the realities of contemporary lifestyles. I urge you to join me and my daughter in our campaign for legal safeguards to protect the rights of unmarried cohabitating couples in the event of a separation. Please sign this petition to demand a long-overdue change in the law that upholds principles of justice and equality.

Update 04/01/2026

Since our separation in May 2024, there has been almost no progress on a financial settlement. After an overdue and unsuccessful mediation in November 2025, we’re now forced to begin the long and costly legal journey under TOLATA.

To help cover legal costs, I’ve created a GoFundMe. Every donation—big or small—will support our fight for justice and help us keep going.

I’ve also requested a meeting with our MP, which my daughter wishes to attend with me. I’ll use my case—one of tens of thousands—to show why modernising UK cohabitation laws is urgently needed.

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• Sign and share the petition to help change the law for everyone