Long-term cohabiting couples face significant financial risks when one partner receives a terminal diagnosis. According to Simon Malkiel at Howard Kennedy, those living together for 20 years with children have almost no automatic legal rights, including inheritance or tax exemptions available to married couples. Many couples are surprised to learn their relationship offers minimal legal protection.

Without marriage, a partner's entire estate typically passes to their child, not the surviving partner, under intestacy rules. The surviving cohabiting partner may apply for reasonable financial provision, but outcomes remain uncertain and can take months to resolve. Property ownership arrangements further complicate matters, with no automatic right to remain in the home if the sole owner dies.

Marriage provides immediate financial protection, including automatic inheritance of £322,000 plus half the remaining estate under intestacy rules. Spousal pension rights and inheritance tax exemptions further strengthen the surviving partner's position. However, marriage alone is insufficient without proper estate planning, including updated wills, correct pension nominations, and clarity on property ownership arrangements.