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Ending a relationship 07/18/2006
Breaking up is never easy.
Who owns what?
If you've been living with someone for some time as bidie-ins, and it's not clear who owns what, the legal presumption is that anything kept or used in the home you shared belongs equally to both of you, unless either of you can prove otherwise.
Exceptions to this include: anything that was given or willed to either of you by someone else; money and securities; a car or a caravan; a cat or a dog or any other pet. Money that was set aside for joint household expenses will be assumed to belong to both of you equally.
What about palimony?
If you split up with someone after you've been living together for some time as bidie-ins, and you feel that your ex is economically better off at your expense (for example, if your bidie-in owned the house you were both living in, and your contribution to household expenses helped pay the mortgage) then a court could decide that your ex should be required to give you some money. The Equality Network strongly recommends you get legal advice before making any decision to take your ex to court on this or any other matter. You can ask Citizens Advice Scotland about the specific details of your situation, or consult a family law solicitor. You can find a list of family law solicitors at the Law Society of Scotland website.
If your bidie-in has children, and you accepted your bidie-in’s children as part of your family, a court can award maintenance payments.
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