Property Issues for Unmarried Couples in Illinois
Geneva, Illinois Family Law Attorney
You live with your partner for seven years. You are just like a married couple in so many ways except the marriage. What if you separate or your partner dies? What happens with the house and furnishings you bought together? What about the money you deposited in the joint bank account? In the State of Illinois, if you and your mate break up, you may have no rights to any property you have shared together. The experienced attorneys in the The Law Offices of Douglas B. Warlick & Associates can help you or your partner address property issues during your time together and after you break up. Our family law practice has been helping unmarried couples with property issues in cases throughout Illinois and in Kane and DuPage counties.
Kane and DuPage County Attorney Handles Property Issues for Unmarried Couples
Lots of unmarried couples make verbal agreements and promises about property they share. However, if you end your relationship or your partner dies, with no contract or document attesting to the areas of understanding about property ownership and division, it can be quite difficult to claim an interest in anything. If you want to protect your interest in the personal property you bring to the relationship or accumulate together, it is a good idea to develop a property agreement, similar to a cohabitation agreement. The agreement will protect your property interest in the event of a death or separation. Planning out how to handle joint property matters, from the outset, gives you a framework for important decision-making in your daily life together, including:
- Purchasing a home or other real estate;
- Buying a vehicle;
- Buying furniture and major art items;
- Joint and separate bank accounts; and
- Shared investments.
A property agreement makes it easier and less contentious to live up to expectations and accept the disposition of property and assets in the event of a separation or death. The agreement should also address how disputes over property are to be dissolved, such as through mediation or arbitration.
Contact Our Skilled Attorney to Address Property Issues
The Law Offices of Douglas B. Warlick & Associates know that couples living together accumulate a good deal of property together. Our legal team can offer the kind of skilled and knowledgeable advice and counsel that can protect your rights to property shared in a unmarried, cohabitation relationship. We can work with you to plan for and resolve property issues related to assets and property ownership. Contact us at 630-232-9700 to set up a discounted rate initial consultation. From our Geneva office, we can accommodate clients throughout Illinois, including Kane, DuPage, McHenry, DeKalb, Kendall, Will, and Cook Counties.
