Legal definitions

Ebi

Hi there, not sure this is the right place but I'll give it a go.

What is the legal definition of cohabiting (as in living with my bf)?
Or does anyone know a good place to find out? Been googling for ever now and all I get is something supervague at welfare.ie

Please help, help, help!

McCrack

There's no technical meaning legal or otherwise, it simply means living together as husband and wife.

Sleipnir

As near as I can tell, it has legal standing when the government are looking for money from you. However, it has no legal standing when you are looking for money from the government. :pac:

Ebi

Sleipner: hahahaha
McCrack: But what if Im living with my bf, but I wouldn't say we're living together as husband and wife, what are we then? Official forms doesn't really give you any options. I'm not single, but I'm definitely not living like husband and wife!

Our man in Havana

Social Welfare definition is living as husband and wife. See here.

You need to read their definition and decide if you fall into that category.

Ebi

Bond-007 : That's what i did, that's why I'm so confused!

Yes we live together, yes we sure household duties, but we don't have shared finances, we dont have both our names on the utility bills, as far as stability goes, we're not planning to get maried or have kids or anything, but we have been living together for a year. As far as social goes, we're most defintely not known as man and wife (and besides, shouldn't that be husband, not man?). We socialise together but we don't use a common surname.

So as far as the Social Welfares definition we could easily be either or. And who decides if we are or not? And also, if there is no legal definition, how come it's the term used on all official papers?

The reason I'm wondering is cause I'm trying to fill out some official papers and can choose my status as single/cohabitant and based on that fill out wether I'm cohabiting och if im living with a friend.

McCrack

From the information you have provided you are obviously co-habitating.

Its meaning is its ordinary English meaning which simply is a man and woman living together as a couple (and doing what couple's do) except they are not married.

What box you choose to tick is your choice.

Ebi

McCrack: Thanks!

Still confused over how something that doesn't have a legal definition can be used on official documents since it then is arbitrary. And as it is arbitrary it might all the sudden become a false statement which is punishable... But i guess that's another question!

Jev/N

Its not supposed to be legally defined, therefore there's a test

Ebi

Jev/N: a test?

Our man in Havana

The main ones would be do you both sleep in the same bed, and do you have a sexual relationship with each other.
That is what the social welfare would use to define it.

Jev/N

Ebi wrote: »

Jev/N: a test?

Many decisions in law are based upon "tests" either set down by staute or by case law. These are much more practical than a simple definition in many cases..

On the welfare.ie site, as you have seen, there are criteria for deciding who are/aren't cohabiting, this is the test I was talking about

Ebi

Jev/N: Thanks!