WHAT IS COHABITATION?

Cohabitation refers to a couple, heterosexual or same-sex, living together without being legally married to each other. While many people have believed that cohabitation is common law marriage, it is not recognised as a legal relationship by South African law. There is, therefore, no law that regulates the rights of parties in a cohabitation relationship. Persons living in cohabitation arrangement do not enjoy the same rights as a legally married couple regardless of how long the couple has stayed together, all the while the living arrangement of cohabitation is increasingly becoming the norm in South Africa.