18/08/2026
STEP, the professional body for trust and estate practitioners, has published its response to the government’s consultation on potential reforms to inheritance and separation rules for cohabiting couples in England and Wales.
The group welcomes the move as a ‘long-overdue step towards fairness’ – whilst urging the lawmakers to ensure marriage and civil partnership retain their legally distinct status.
Commenting on the initiative, Price Slater Gawne Wealth Protection Partner and STEP Representative, Nina Sperring, said: “STEP research shows that 41% of cohabiting people in the UK don't have a will, leaving them at risk of being left with nothing and facing a costly legal battle if the worst should happen.
“While proposed reforms may improve protections for some cohabiting couples, they will not remove the need for a will.”
Read the full press release on the STEP website: https://www.step.org/press-office/step-welcomes-long-overdue-cohabitation-reform-warns-marriage-and-civil-partnership