Lauren* was in her early thirties and living in South Wales when a whirlwind romance took her by surprise. Within weeks of meeting her new partner they were living together, though they took this step without any discussion about what it might mean for their finances or their future.
“He moved in through the backdoor,” she remembers. “He kind of just stayed over a lot. These things tend to happen quite organically, not necessarily with a decision. You’re in the moment and you don’t really realise.”
Lauren’s new partner moved into her property, a three-bedroom house which she owned. For a time, he left his own home empty and then eventually sold it, putting the savings he recouped into his own private bank account. He wasn’t contributing to any bills for the home they were sharing.
Shorts
Soon after, Lauren fell unexpectedly pregnant and the couple decided to keep the baby. But after almost three years together, while their child was still a baby, the relationship fell apart irreparably and her ex moved out. A decade later, he is no longer involved in the raising of her son, but Lauren feels chilled by what could have been: under new laws now being considered by the Government, her ex could have also had rights over her property and her finances.
