We clarify the concept that a couple living together for many years creates automatic legal rights and duties between them.
There is a widespread myth that two people engaged in a romantic relationship who have been living together for many years have what is called “a common law marriage”, which means that their relationship has the status of a legal marriage. However, this is false with no basis in South African law. How exactly the myth got started no-one seems to know. It is however very problematic since the parties to such a relationship often believe mistakenly that their relationship includes all the rights and obligations of a legal marriage. When the relationship terminates (by separation or death), the parties are shocked and dismayed to find that they do not have any legal rights whatsoever against their partner or his/her deceased estate.
The rights these parties believed they had in terms of their “common law marriage”:
• Laws of Intestate Succession
In terms of the Laws of Intestate Succession, when a spouse dies without a will, the other spouse automatically inherits 50% of the deceased spouse’s estate or 50% of the joint estate if they are married in community of property. An example is in terms of the Maintenance of Surviving Spouses Act 27 of 1990, which states that a spouse in a legal marriage whose partner dies, has a claim against his/her estate for maintenance. Again, however, a “spouse” in a “common law marriage” cannot claim maintenance from the estate of their partner. The Act does not cover partners to such a relationship.
• Cohabitation
Since the term “common law marriage” is misleading and indeed there is no such thing, what do we call an unmarried couple living together in what resembles a marriage? Such a relationship is commonly referred to as “cohabitation”, and with two exceptions, the relationship does not give rise to legal rights and obligations between the parties. Should the cohabiting parties wish to regulate and formalize their financial arrangement and other aspects of their relationship, they can enter into a “Cohabitation Agreement”.
The agreement should be in writing and may contain any terms that are not illegal or immoral. Usually, the cohabitation agreement relates to financial and property matters and may deal with the following:
• Jointly purchased assets
• The marital home (who pays the bond)
• Paying off debts
• Living expenses (who is responsible)
• Insurance and pension funds
These terms will regulate the financial relationship and other matters while the couple is together. The agreement must also contain carefully drafted terms about what happens if the couple separates. For instance, if the “marital home” is jointly owned by the partners, will it be sold on separation, at what price, or will it be auctioned? A well-drafted cohabitation agreement can thus provide unmarried couples with considerable structure and predictability in their financial lives, which to some extent resembles the marital regime of a married couple. Such an agreement will possibly contribute to the general stability of such a couple.
• Engagement
Suppose you decide cohabitation is not the way to go, and you and your partner decide to take the traditional route by getting engaged. Nonetheless you want to know, what is the legal status of an engagement. Is it a binding legal contract? The answer is yes and no! When a couple gets engaged, it is considered a legal obligation and a commitment by the parties to get married sometime in the future. It is, in short, an agreement to get married. There are no formalities required for this contract, not even an engagement ring or witnesses. All that is required is a serious intention on behalf of both parties to get married. The parties must however have the capacity to understand the agreement, for instance, they cannot be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. Furthermore, they must be 18 years or older. However, minors may get engaged with the consent of their guardians.
But what if things go wrong? What if one of the parties decide that he or she no longer wants to go through with it? Can the one party force the other party to get married? The answer of course is no – neither party can force the other party to get married. Are there then no consequences to a broken engagement? Indeed, there are. If your fiancé breaks off the engagement without a good reason, you may claim monetary damages for breach of contract. But your claim will be limited to your actual expenses for planning and preparing for the wedding. And finally, the most important question – who keeps the engagement ring? If you mutually decide to end your relationship (and the engagement), the ring must be returned to whoever bought it. However, if the party who bought the ring breaks off the engagement without a good reason, the other party (“the innocent party”) may keep all gifts, including the ring. Should you require assistance in regards to the above, kindly contact our office to set up an appointment in which the relevant steps required in relation thereto will be discussed in detail.
Disclaimer: This article is correct as at the time of going to press, however, it is nosubstitute for a consultation with an attorney. TEL: 031 402 0356 EMAIL: litigation@rllaw.co.za / conveyancing@rllaw.co.za / info@rllaw.co.za
