Remember actor Lee Marvin?
this case summary. And then you can imagine what he probably paid in attorneys fees to defend these claims. But that’s only half the story: Michelle Triola Marvin also had an attorney who needed to be paid, too. Taken in this perspective, a premarital agreement or cohabitation agreement is a cost-effective way to handle this type of situation. Also, if you have an oral or written contract about how you will own property, share income, assets, debts and so forth, it’s sometimes possible to make a claim that although you were never married that contract law applies, and that property should be divided even if it’s only in one person’s name, or even if only one person paid the bills. There are also real estate partition laws that can dictate how property is divided, and in some cases the court can even force an involuntary sale at auction. If you are going to live together without getting married, you’ll want a cohabitation agreement. The mediators at Peace Talks feel it’s better to decid
