31/10/2023
Cohabiting in South Africa
Cohabiting is defined by the Oxford dictionary as ”living together and having a sexual relationship without marriage”.
People cohabit with their partners for various reasons. For some its “taking the relationship to the next level” or maybe because its convenient to do so. Some partners eventually get married but some never do.
For those that dont, there’s often a common myth that if you have lived with your partner for “a long time” the law regards you as their spouse.. Well this isnt true. A person may only be regarded as a spouse if they get married to each other according to the various laws in the country.
Yes, if your partner passes away and does so without a will, you may be an intestate heir, however, you are not regarded as a spouse.
If you’re cohabiting or you’re considering it and you’d like to know more, please reach out, book a consultation and let us help you.