Add Checkmark To Legal Massachusetts Cohabitation Forms For Free

A cohabitation agreement is a legal document between unmarried couples who are living together. It sets out arrangements for finances, property and children while you're living together and if you split up, become ill or die. You can make an agreement at any time. It's good to do it before you move in together.

Cohabitation. n. living together in the same residence, generally either as husband and wife or for an extended period of time as if the parties were married. Cohabitation implies that the parties are having sexual intercourse while living together, but the definition would not apply to a casual sexual encounter.

Massachusetts does not allow common law marriage, so no matter how long a couple lives together, cohabitation won't ever change into a marriage without performing a wedding ceremony. However, Massachusetts does allow cohabitation agreements.

A cohabitation agreement is a legal contract signed by people who want to live together without getting married but still want to codify an understanding of financial, medical or funerary obligations to one another until and after the relationship is dissolved, or if one partner dies.

In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, unmarried couples are allowed to draft cohabitation agreements to safeguard their property in the event of a breakup. These contracts are supported by a 1998 Supreme Court of Massachusetts's ruling in the case of Wilcox v. Trautz, 427 Mass.

For more typical cases, examples of documents that can help prove cohabitation (living together) include: Copies of the following, showing both spouses' names: Joint mortgage or lease documents (make sure to include a copy of the entire mortgage or lease) Utility or other bills showing both spouses' names.