... house prices rise and more and more people are living together without getting married.'6 He stated that 'a more practical, down to earth approach is called for...[which] should be simple and accessible.'7 The Law Commission has also commented on the current system describing it as 'complex, uncertain, expensive to rely on [which] often gives rise to outcomes that are unjust.'8 The House of Lords has recently contended with this 'patchwork of legal rules'9 regarding cohabiting couples in the case of Stack v Dowden.10 Stack v Dowden: The proposed framework The recent decision of the House of Lords in Stack v Dowden provides an important framework which illustrates how the property disputes of unmarried co-owners are to be resolved upon separation. Mr Stack and Miss Dowden were a long term cohabiting couple with four children. In 1993 the couple purchased a family home to which Miss Dowden made a greater financial contribution. ...

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