Do live-in partners have any rights?

Common law marriage - the reality In reality, moving in together does not give you automatic rights to each others property, no matter how long you live together. And if your partner dies, cohabiting does not entitle you to inherit - with potentially disastrous consequences for a surviving common law spouse.

Can living separately help relationship?

Either way, living apart together “gives you breathing space”, she says. Living apart together can make it easier to find breathing space in a relationship, but sustaining a support network, and pursuing outside interests can create the same sense of space and individuation in a cohabiting dynamic.