Many long-term romantic couples choose to marry, but some decide that marriage is not the right decision while nonetheless choosing to move in together and share many aspects of their lives and finances. When an unmarried, cohabiting couple ends their relationship, one partner may sometimes feel that the other should make “palimony” payments, but it can often be difficult to determine whether there are legal grounds to seek this type of financial support.
What Is Palimony?
“Palimony” is a term commonly used for the equivalent of spousal support or alimony payments between former partners who have never been married. Unlike for divorced couples, California law does not explicitly provide a means for unmarried partners to seek support payments, but it may still be possible to receive palimony if you and your partner had previously established a legally binding cohabitation agreement.
Including Palimony in Your Cohabitation Agreement
At any point while you are cohabiting with your partner, you can decide together to establish a cohabitation agreement, which can include a provision for support payments in the event that the relationship ends. You may decide to model your palimony agreement based on the method for determining spousal support in a California divorce, which takes into consideration:
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