Read more about living together here.

Sample cohabitation agreement

1.     Movable property: Provide for a fair division of household goods on dissolution. A good idea is to list the respective assets of the parties at the start of the relationship and agree whether or nor not these become joint assets. Similarly, keep a register of assets acquired during the relationship and agree whether these too become joint assets.

2.      Immovable property:

a.    Who owns the home that you live in? If it is co-owned, deal with the proportion of your respective shares and who gets what on dissolution.

b.     If it is solely owned, you may consider compensating the non-owner for improvements done to the property at his or her expense.

c.      If the common home is leased property, provide for who stays on when you part company.

3.      Financial arrangements:

a.     During the relationship will you operate a joint bank account? Who will pay the household and living expenses? Who will own cars and other assets? Who will enter into credit agreements? Will you take out life insurance on each other’s lives?

b.      When the relationship ends who pays the debts of the partnership?    

4.      Children:

a.    If you have or intend to have children, agree whether one partner is to support the other party during the relationship if such a partner is unemployed or staying home to care for small children born from the relationship.

b.   As fathers of children born out of wedlock have no automatic rights (to guardianship, custody or access) but only an obligation to pay maintenance, provide for these rights on dissolution of your relationship. This will simplify an application to court to enforce these rights if the mother of the child proves difficult. In terms of the Children’s Act an unmarried father can acquire parental rights and responsibilities automatically (without needing to go to court) if he complies with conditions set out in section 21. Read more c.    Provide for maintenance for the children and for the mother especially if she has been a stay-at-home mom and needs time to acquire marketable skills or become self supporting.

Your partnership will end through death, marriage to each other or an agreement to terminate or vary. The life partnership agreement should take into account the following factors when the relationship comes to an end. In addition to signing a life partnership agreement also draw up a will and make sure that that the terms of the documents do not conflict.