Cohabiting Coupled Treated As Married For Divorce Money

[gregchambers]

Not content with introducing a mere 3000 new criminal offences in their decade of misrule, the wondrous socialist state of Great Britain is intent on passing a new law in the next two months that will give couples who are cohabiting but not married the same rights as married people when they split up!

This may have implications if you have been living with a Thai girl for a while and take her to blighty on an unmarried partner's visa.

I do understand that some unmarried women are hard done by when they are kicked out by their men but now it looks like a huge new wave of women are going to be able to rip off men in the UK!

Simply not acceptable to me, anyway!

[bkkandrew]

Not content with introducing a mere 3000 new criminal offences in their decade of misrule, the wondrous socialist state of Great Britain is intent on passing a new law in the next two months that will give couples who are cohabiting but not married the same rights as married people when they split up!

This may have implications if you have been living with a Thai girl for a while and take her to blighty on an unmarried partner's visa.

I do understand that some unmarried women are hard done by when they are kicked out by their men but now it looks like a huge new wave of women are going to be able to rip off men in the UK!

Simply not acceptable to me, anyway!

Yes - I noticed this. Great scam for the PY - go to UK with tourist visa and end up owning the sponser's house!

[jackspratt]

Merely catching up with the rest of the civilized world.

And if the UK law is anything like the Oz laws, there is no way she could come there on a tourist visa, and "end up owning the sponsors house". Rather dramatic I suggest.

[sbk]

Not sure how this is Thailand related?

Many western countries recognize common law marriage, including most states in the US, Canada, Israel and Australia.

I believe it is not recognized in Thailand but again, lets try and relate this post to Thailand in some way instead of turning it into an anti-UK or anti-woman rant.

[cdnvic]

More hysterics. This is simply catching up with the times and giving defacto couples the same status as married ones. They don't argue when it comes tax time and you can write them off as a dependant or split income to lower the taxes owed.

Someone on a tourist visa will not take your house away. Go take a few deep breaths.

[eek]

Thank goodness! But too late for me, sadly. Lived with my ex for nearly 8 years and owned property together. He made it so difficult for me and although the deposit for our the home and other things we owned was mainly paid for from inheritance money I had no leg to stand on because it wasnt stipulated in the deeds (my fault really). In the end he caused so much problems for me and the stress got to me that I settled on him having just over half of sale money. He took everything else automatically: car, furniture, etc. Even our cats (which he tried to get me to pay a monthly keep for!!!) Would you believe that he even tried to get me to pay half of the mortgage for the 18 months i did not live there! Thats just some of the crazy requests. He kept telling me that if we take it to court that we would lose a ton of money so financially it wouldnt make sense and that in the end i had no rights. I spoke to a legal advisor, but was told much the same. It dragged out and as i was renting a extorsionate shoebox in central London, Id had enough. Finally gave up trying to even get half and settled on much less.

If the law had been changed just one year ago, I would have had much better standing legaly. So i am VERY happy for others about the rule change.

[eek]

I do understand that some unmarried women are hard done by when they are kicked out by their men but now it looks like a huge new wave of women are going to be able to rip off men in the UK!

It works BOTH ways you know. Men can rip off women. Men dont have the monopoly on income and stakes Also, if a man and women are living together as if married but without a piece of paper saying they are married, why should their rights be any different?

[jamesc2000]

Not content with introducing a mere 3000 new criminal offences in their decade of misrule, the wondrous socialist state of Great Britain is intent on passing a new law in the next two months that will give couples who are cohabiting but not married the same rights as married people when they split up!

This may have implications if you have been living with a Thai girl for a while and take her to blighty on an unmarried partner's visa.

I do understand that some unmarried women are hard done by when they are kicked out by their men but now it looks like a huge new wave of women are going to be able to rip off men in the UK!

Simply not acceptable to me, anyway!

Best news I have heard today!

That means we men can live with the girlfriend and get half her property when we split?

Its about time that us men were treated equal!

Afterall its not the eighties we are living in or the nineties, its the zeros!

[jamesc2000]

Not content with introducing a mere 3000 new criminal offences in their decade of misrule, the wondrous socialist state of Great Britain is intent on passing a new law in the next two months that will give couples who are cohabiting but not married the same rights as married people when they split up!

This may have implications if you have been living with a Thai girl for a while and take her to blighty on an unmarried partner's visa.

I do understand that some unmarried women are hard done by when they are kicked out by their men but now it looks like a huge new wave of women are going to be able to rip off men in the UK!

Simply not acceptable to me, anyway!

Best news I have heard today!

That means we men can live with the girlfriend and get half her property when we split?

Its about time that us men were treated equal!

Afterall its not the eighties we are living in or the nineties, its the zeros!

I just realised I might have made a sexist remark and must apologise for being politically incorrect!

Let me rephrase

That means we men can live with the girlfriend/boyfriend and get half her/his property when we split?

[ronw]

wondrous socialist state of Great Britain

WRONG, WRONG WRONG!!

The only truly socialist government ever in Britain was the one just after the 2nd world war.....which saw the introduction of a good health service,many workers rights, eg paid holidays, overtime rates, guaranteed standards in housing , and many more benefits for the working class.

The reason why we have a NEW labour party is that it is not socialist.....Tony Blair is truly a "son of Thatcher" continuing almost all her pernicious policies........just have a real look at the erosion of workers rights in recent years......

[johnsurin]

It's more like a fascist regime. Tony Blair holds the people of the uk in utter contempt, and thinks he can simply do as he pleases. That is why Thailand had a coup, it's about time england had one also.

P.S. The slimy <deleted> leaves his job today anyway, lets see how good it gets with a scotsman running the country?

[gregchambers]

Never suggested that a gal on a tourist visa would take the house, but one on an unmarried person's visa might well do - dependent on the wording of the law (I believe there is a system in place to register a defacto relationship and if it is dependent on this no great problem). Also realise some ladies are hard done by but that is no basis to enact a law that potentially punishes millions of men. Fair enough if a minimum timescale is involved such as five years. Expect lots of relationships to end before it become law!

It is Thailand related because crafty farang like to have defacto relationships with Thai gals (And take them for visits to the UK) and can escape when the Thai husband turns up with no fiscal loss regarding their assets. This is fair play as far as I am concerned and I am not willing to give such scumbags any of my dosh regardless of what laws are passed!

BTW the way out of this is to get a bank account in Geneva as that particular canton will not respond to UK court orders on revealing bank details on divorce grounds. They will on bankruptcy proceedings, though, so some care would still be needed. Althouigh the Swiss banks can carry expensive fees, getting a mutli-currency account with the ability to invest in many of world's stockmarkets free of tax if you are non resident in Western country but living in Thailand has great appeal!

As to Britain being a socialist state or not, my definition would include the amount of gornment interference in people's lives and would suggest bringing in 3000 new criminal offences certainly suggests such an increase! Of course, Blair and his mates have been coining it nicely and lots of capitalist swine have been paying next to nothing in tax.

Personally, I am just waiting for the right exit moment and won't be happy if rushed into things by penal laws regarding relationships.

[bkkandrew]

P.S. The slimy <deleted> leaves his job today anyway, lets see how good it gets with a scotsman running the country?

Are you implying a Scotsman shouldn't or couldn't run the country?

Of course, Tony Bliar was born in Edinburgh, which I believe is in Scotland, a fact you should have known had you half a brain.

Sorry mate, not with you on this one... As over 70% of the laws Brown will be passing will not affect his constituents (Dunfermline East) in any way, he should not be entitled to vote on them, let alone propose or introduce them as PM.

Bliar's Constituency (Sedgefield), being in England meant that his voters were subject to matters he voted on... His birthplace was irrelivent.

[solent01]

Its about time too, so you live with a young lady, spend maybe ten years together, then you decide to go your own ways, sure she needs a decent split. Anyone that denies this is a w a n k e r.

Edited June 24, 2007 by solent01

[bkkandrew]

Its about time too, so you live with a young lady, spend maybe ten years together, then you decide to go your own ways, sure she needs a decent split. Anyone that denies this is a w a n k e r.

I think that you miss the point that, with the legislation, it is conceivable that Thai PY comes over on a 6-month tourist visa, stays at the sponsor's house (as is required by the visa terms), has a fall-out (perish the thought!! ) and then (if streetwise) has a claim on the house, as they have being living as "common law" man and wife..

Happy with that?

[cdnvic]

Its about time too, so you live with a young lady, spend maybe ten years together, then you decide to go your own ways, sure she needs a decent split. Anyone that denies this is a w a n k e r.

I think that you miss the point that, with the legislation, it is conceivable that Thai PY comes over on a 6-month tourist visa, stays at the sponsor's house (as is required by the visa terms), has a fall-out (perish the thought!! ) and then (if streetwise) has a claim on the house, as they have being living as "common law" man and wife..

Happy with that?

Her status in the country as a visitor should easily negate that. Were she a sponsored immigrant it would be a different matter.

There have been similar horror stories prior to the same laws being introduced elsewhere but it all turned out to be nothing.

Edited June 24, 2007 by cdnvic

[solent01]

Vic summed it up, we are not talking about a lady that has come to England on a six month visit, and I would add that this is not really Thai related, its more of a case for English guys to get real and stop taking the piss. And before you flame me, I am English and know full well what is going on.

[bkkandrew]

Its about time too, so you live with a young lady, spend maybe ten years together, then you decide to go your own ways, sure she needs a decent split. Anyone that denies this is a w a n k e r.

I think that you miss the point that, with the legislation, it is conceivable that Thai PY comes over on a 6-month tourist visa, stays at the sponsor's house (as is required by the visa terms), has a fall-out (perish the thought!! ) and then (if streetwise) has a claim on the house, as they have being living as "common law" man and wife..

Happy with that?

Her status in the country as a visitor should easily negate that. Were she a sponsored immigrant it would be a different matter.

There have been similar horror stories prior to the same laws being introduced elsewhere but it all turned out to be nothing.

Want to bet on it?

Better still, perhaps you could provide an indemnity against such a turn of events?

[solent01]

Its about time too, so you live with a young lady, spend maybe ten years together, then you decide to go your own ways, sure she needs a decent split. Anyone that denies this is a w a n k e r.

I think that you miss the point that, with the legislation, it is conceivable that Thai PY comes over on a 6-month tourist visa, stays at the sponsor's house (as is required by the visa terms), has a fall-out (perish the thought!! ) and then (if streetwise) has a claim on the house, as they have being living as "common law" man and wife..

Happy with that?

Her status in the country as a visitor should easily negate that. Were she a sponsored immigrant it would be a different matter.

There have been similar horror stories prior to the same laws being introduced elsewhere but it all turned out to be nothing.

Want to bet on it?

Better still, perhaps you could provide an indemnity against such a turn of events?

Andrew, no disrespect, but you are being paranoid

[cdnvic]

This is why it's so easy to write horror movies. Some people are so easy to scare.

Her legal status is that of a visitor, not a resident. Maybe hotels should be careful not to rent to people longer than five months? You are providing accommodation to a foreigner on a holiday. That is all. Other than the visitor visa they have no legal status in your country.

Find if you can, a single incident where someone on a tourist visa has made a valid claim on their host's home in any country with similar laws. (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc)

[bkkandrew]

Its about time too, so you live with a young lady, spend maybe ten years together, then you decide to go your own ways, sure she needs a decent split. Anyone that denies this is a w a n k e r.

I think that you miss the point that, with the legislation, it is conceivable that Thai PY comes over on a 6-month tourist visa, stays at the sponsor's house (as is required by the visa terms), has a fall-out (perish the thought!! ) and then (if streetwise) has a claim on the house, as they have being living as "common law" man and wife..

Happy with that?

Her status in the country as a visitor should easily negate that. Were she a sponsored immigrant it would be a different matter.

There have been similar horror stories prior to the same laws being introduced elsewhere but it all turned out to be nothing.

Want to bet on it?

Better still, perhaps you could provide an indemnity against such a turn of events?

Andrew, no disrespect, but you are being paranoid

No bets though, no indemnities. Yes, when it comes to the nutty goings on in the UK, no one would put their money where their mouth is, because madness prevails.

Can you, perhaps, tell me where the line would be drawn?

[solent01]

This is why it's so easy to write horror movies. Some people are so easy to scare.

Her legal status is that of a visitor, not a resident. Maybe hotels should be careful not to rent to people longer than five months? You are providing accommodation to a foreigner on a holiday. That is all. Other than the visitor visa they have no legal status in your country.

Find if you can, a single incident where someone on a tourist visa has made a valid claim on their host's home in any country with similar laws. (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc)

Exactly

[gregchambers]

Well, if you married a Thai girl in LOS and took her for an holiday to the UK on a visitors visa then she could indeed turn nasty as long as you were resident in the UK even if married in Thailand and lived there for a while.

The law is quite clear on this, if one person in a relationship is British and resident in the UK then UK divorce laws can be applied to marriages in Thailand (obviously, if the gal can only get there via her husband sponsoring her visa then there are some safeguards if the whole relationship takes place in Thailand).

So if defacto couples are treated the same, she will have some rights to property etc although how she would prove the relationship would be down to her friends in the UK having access to a sharp lawyer.

All seems pretty frightening to me (as someone who has quite a lot to lose if I get things wrong) but, yes, we will have to see the details of the law before panicking - but forewarned is forearmed and I can see lots of relationships ending both here and in Blighty if it comes to pass. Lets hope it applies only to registered relationships that have lasted a minimum of five years!

[bkkandrew]

This is why it's so easy to write horror movies. Some people are so easy to scare.

Her legal status is that of a visitor, not a resident. Maybe hotels should be careful not to rent to people longer than five months? You are providing accommodation to a foreigner on a holiday. That is all. Other than the visitor visa they have no legal status in your country.

Find if you can, a single incident where someone on a tourist visa has made a valid claim on their host's home in any country with similar laws. (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc)

Legal status in the UK has never been a bar to legal claims. For an extreme example see the asylum claim by the Afgan hijackers at Stansted airport:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4767463.stm

Even Bliar called it "an abuse of common sense". (This is despite the fact that his Government enacted the law that made their claims successful).

I don't believe that Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc. have the idiotic laws the UK has recently added to the Statute Book. Therein lies the difference...

[bkkandrew]

This is why it's so easy to write horror movies. Some people are so easy to scare.

Her legal status is that of a visitor, not a resident. Maybe hotels should be careful not to rent to people longer than five months? You are providing accommodation to a foreigner on a holiday. That is all. Other than the visitor visa they have no legal status in your country.

Find if you can, a single incident where someone on a tourist visa has made a valid claim on their host's home in any country with similar laws. (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc)

Exactly

Exactly wrong - see above...

[solent01]

OK, so you are the type of person that is worried about this, can I suggest you don't settle with a lady...........

Or if in fact you decide to settle, just do the village marriage, it will suet you just fine.

If however you are real about your marriage, then shut the f up, and get real about what you are doing.........

Sorry, but it needs saying, you sound like an idiot.

[gregchambers]

Solent, the point being that a village wedding is a defacto relationship that may be treated like a marriage if the laws change. I am sure that a lot of guys on here need to be informed of these law changes, so why should I shut the f..k up?

And, again, the reality is that the vast majority of Thai women involved with farang already have Thai husbands and it is extremely important that these guys should not gain any money out of the situation when they are found out (which will only encourage the practice!).

[bkkandrew]

OK, so you are the type of person that is worried about this, can I suggest you don't settle with a lady...........

Or if in fact you decide to settle, just do the village marriage, it will suet you just fine.

If however you are real about your marriage, then shut the f up, and get real about what you are doing.........

Sorry, but it needs saying, you sound like an idiot.

So, you can't admit you are wrong and wish to call me idiot instead. I wish we were inthe same room..

I am quite happily married in the UK (for 11 years), so have no axe to grind. Unlike, who evidently needs some help on a number of levels!

[solent01]

Solent, the point being that a village wedding is a defacto relationship that may be treated like a marriage if the laws change. I am sure that a lot of guys on here need to be informed of these law changes, so why should I shut the f..k up?

And, again, the reality is that the vast majority of Thai women involved with farang already have Thai husbands and it is extremely important that these guys should not gain any money out of the situation when they are found out (which will only encourage the practice!).

A common in law wife in Thailand, has no command in the UK, regardless of the new policy. If it ever goes to court then I will stand corrected

[solent01]

OK, so you are the type of person that is worried about this, can I suggest you don't settle with a lady...........

Or if in fact you decide to settle, just do the village marriage, it will suet you just fine.

If however you are real about your marriage, then shut the f up, and get real about what you are doing.........

Sorry, but it needs saying, you sound like an idiot.

So, you can't admit you are wrong and wish to call me idiot instead. I wish we were inthe same room..

I am quite happily married in the UK (for 11 years), so have no axe to grind. Unlike, who evidently needs some help on a number of levels!

Help? only to understand what your problem is with this................... So your married, good for you, so of all people you understand that your partner will need help when/if you split.

All I am saying is that this is not going to F up sponsers, and to be honest, I don't really think this is Thai related.

As far as you and I being in the same room, after a few beers, I'm sure you and I would both agree, this is just bull s h i t politics.