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Lockdown together or apart? Could a Cohabitation Agreement help your relationship survive?

With the United Kingdom currently in lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, couples all over the country are having to adapt to a whole new set of relationship challenges. When the lockdown was announced, there was one simple choice: spend 24/7 with each other, or barely spend any time together at all.

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Living apart during the lockdown:
The coronavirus lockdown has meant that many couples are now forced to be in long-distance relationships, despite only living a few minutes away from each other for some.
If you’ve found yourself separated from your other half, here are a few things you can do to make sure your relationship survives:
• Arrange a video call once a day - while it’s not the same as seeing your partner in person, video calling via apps like WhatsApp or FaceTime is a good way to spend time with each other while you are apart.
• Virtual date nights - dress up in your best clothes and ‘meet’ your partner for a virtual date on a video call. You could even organise to have the same food and wine, so you can enjoy it all together.

“It's very tempting (to meet up), and it's frustrating because it's like, oh surely we could just meet up and hug. But you can't -- that destroys the whole purpose of it.” - Henny Ansell

Living with your partner during the lockdown
For many of us, living with our other half in normal times does not mean that we spend all of our time with them. Normally, we have jobs to go to, kids to pick up from school, nights out with friends… Now, when we are only allowed to exercise with members of our household and, other than exercising and shopping for essentials.
So how can you make sure that your relationship lives on post-COVID-19?
• Make some time for yourself - go and read a book in another room for 30 minutes. Or take a nice long bath. Make a room (or section of a room) that when one of you is in it, the other can’t disturb. Apps like HouseParty and Zoom are a great way to spend time with your friends.
• Communication is key - listen to your other half’s concerns and worries and get them to listen to yours. Speaking about what’s bothering you can help to stop worry building up into snapping and bickering.

If you moved in with your partner following the lockdown announcement, you may not have had time to consider a Cohabitation Agreement. Get in touch to speak to one of our family law solicitors about whether a Cohabitation Agreement may be right for you.