Upon the death of a partner, unmarried cohabitants do not have rights to their pension, are exposed to inheritance tax, cannot claim certain benefits and, if the dying partner has left no will, are exposed to the law of intestacy. The best protection for cohabiting couples is to get married and so when one half of the couple is dying, and time is running out, a ‘deathbed marriage’ is often the solution. However on On 23 March 2019 the Prime Minister announced a ban on marriage ceremonies, a decision which could have a major impact on cohabiting couples faced with this deathbed situation. In this article from Essex Chambers they discuss the legality on the ban of civil death bed marriages during the coronavirus pandemic.
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