Separation & Living Together Agreements in Harrow
Not every couple who separates wants to divorce straight away, and not every couple is married in the first place. In both situations an agreement records what the two of you have decided about the home, the finances, and any children.
Kenton Solicitors prepares separation agreements for married couples who are living apart, and living together agreements for partners who want their arrangements set out clearly — whether at the start of living together or when things come to an end.
Everything you tell us is confidential and a first conversation commits you to nothing. Appointments are available at our Kenton Road office in person, by telephone, or by video call, Monday to Saturday.
Free Consultation — 020 8907 2444Which Agreement Applies to You?
Which one you need depends simply on whether you are married and on where you are in the relationship.
Separation Agreements
For married couples who are living apart but not divorcing yet — whether because you are not ready, want time to think, or would prefer to wait before starting the divorce itself.
- Who stays in the family home
- How the bills and mortgage are met
- Arrangements for the children
- Ongoing financial support
- How things stand until you decide what next
Living Together Agreements
For unmarried partners. Because you do not have the same position as a married couple, recording what you have agreed matters considerably more — both when moving in together and if you later separate.
- Who owns what share of the home
- How contributions are recorded
- What happens to the property if you separate
- How bills and outgoings are shared
- Arrangements for any children
Putting an Agreement in Place
Most agreements are prepared within a few weeks once you know what you want it to say.
Free Consultation
We discuss your circumstances, what you have already agreed between you, and what the agreement needs to cover.
Setting Out the Position
Both of you set out your finances openly. An agreement made without full information is easily challenged later.
Drafting the Agreement
We prepare the document covering the home, the finances, and any arrangements for children.
Independent Advice & Signing
Each of you takes advice from your own solicitor, then the agreement is signed. That advice is what gives it weight.
There Is No Such Thing as a Common Law Spouse
This is the most widespread misunderstanding we come across, and it causes real hardship. Living together for years, even decades, does not give you the position a married couple has. There is no common law marriage in this country, however often the phrase is used.
In practice that means if your partner owns the home and you are not on the title, you may have no automatic claim to it — regardless of how long you lived there or what you contributed towards the mortgage or the renovation. People discover this at the worst possible moment.
A living together agreement, and where appropriate a document recording each person's share of the property, is how you avoid that. It is a small piece of work that prevents a serious problem later.
Speak to a SolicitorRecord Property Shares Properly
Where you are buying together, or moving into a home one of you already owns, a document recording each person's share removes the argument before it arises. Our conveyancing team handles this alongside the purchase.
Contributions Should Be Written Down
Paying towards a mortgage, a deposit, or an extension does not automatically give you a share. Recording what was contributed, and what was agreed about it, is what protects you.
A Separation Agreement Is Not a Divorce
It records what has been agreed while you live apart, but you remain married. If you divorce later, the agreement is usually the starting point but the finances still need to be resolved properly then.
Both of You Need Your Own Advice
One firm cannot advise both of you. Each taking independent advice is one of the main things that gives an agreement weight if it is questioned later.
When an Agreement Helps
Separating but Not Divorcing
Married couples living apart who want the arrangements clear while they decide what to do next.
Moving In Together
Partners buying or moving into a home together who want each person's position recorded from the start.
Unmarried Couples Separating
Partners who are going their separate ways and need the position on the home and finances resolved.
One Partner Owns the Home
Where the property is in one name only and the other has contributed or is about to. This is where problems most often arise.
Unequal Contributions
Where one of you put in a larger deposit or is paying more towards the mortgage, and you want that reflected.
Parents Who Never Married
Unmarried parents separating, who need arrangements for the children and the home settled between them.
Separation Agreement Solicitors Serving Harrow
We prepare agreements for couples across Harrow and the surrounding areas of north-west London. A good number involve the family home, which in this area is usually the main thing at stake.
That is where having a firm that does both helps. Where a property needs transferring, or shares in it need recording, our conveyancing team deals with that as part of the same matter rather than sending you elsewhere.
Get in Touch
A first conversation commits you to nothing and everything discussed is confidential. Contact our team for a free initial consultation.
020 8907 2444or email info@kentonsolicitors.co.uk
Opening Hours
Monday – Friday: 10am – 6pm
Saturday: 10am – 6pm
Walk-ins welcome. Telephone and video appointments available.
Separation Agreement FAQs
Speak to a Family Solicitor in Harrow
Free initial consultation. Completely confidential. Based in Harrow.
