BreakupS AND LIVING TOGETHER AGREEMENTS

No one ever said that breaking up was easy. To make matters worse, the legal rules that affect property and other rights of unmarried couples who separate differ from the rules applicable to married couples who divorce.

You and your ex may be in total agreeance and peacefully go your separate ways. If so, good for you. Consider yourself lucky. However, if you and your ex are unable to amicably resolve all of your issues, then you may end up in court. The laws governing divorce don’t apply to breakups, which can make the process more difficult, depending on the circumstances.

In some instances, you may want to hire an attorney simply because you don’t want to deal with the aftermath of a breakup, i.e., you want to avoid your ex at all costs. At Rees Law, we can take care of these residual matters for you, giving you more time for yourself and less time for your ex. Who knows? Maybe breaking up doesn’t have to be so hard after all!

Some situations are a bit more complicated, and you’ll likely need an attorney to protect your interests. For example, the waters quickly turn muddied in breakups involving children, pets, jointly-acquired property, shared assets and liabilities, and business partnerships. Problems seem to inevitably surface, and emotions tend to run high. An attorney will work to make these problems go away, attempt to resolve any issues with your ex, and advocate on your behalf. Hopefully, an attorney can help you achieve a separation agreement satisfactory to both you and your ex, and you’ll be able to avoid court altogether.

In emotionally-charged breakups (usually when your ex isn’t too keen on the split), you may need to retain an attorney to take action on your behalf, e.g., to send a cease and desist letter to stop your ex from contacting you or a demand letter requesting the return of your property. If your safety is at risk, protective orders and temporary restraining orders could become necessary, and an attorney can assist you in seeking such orders through the court.

Michelle urges her clients to take proper precautions while their relationships are still going well. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. A living together agreement (LTA) can give you the protection you’ll need “just in case”. If done properly, an LTA is legally enforceable in court; however, when a couple has an LTA in place, there’s usually no need for court at all. Similar to a pre-nuptial agreement, an LTA can prevent a lot of problems that otherwise would have emerged in the event a breakup.

In short, you do the breaking, and we’ll do the fixing! If your relationship comes to an end, you no longer have to deal with the fallout. At Rees Law, we strive to make breaking up feel easy. So, it’s okay to end your relationship and leave it to us to pick up the pieces. And if you do decide to get back together with your ex, let us put together an LTA to try and prevent further problems from arising in the future. We’re here to help in any way we can.