Law of Property Act 1925: Primary legislation governing property ownership and rights in England and Wales, particularly relevant for establishing joint ownership arrangements in cohabitation agreements
Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996: Key legislation governing property disputes between cohabitants and defining beneficial interests in property (TOLATA)
Family Law Act 1996: Legislation covering occupation rights and provisions relating to domestic violence and occupation orders for cohabiting couples
Children Act 1989: Essential legislation regarding children's rights, parental responsibility, and child arrangements for cohabiting couples with children
Contract Law Principles: Fundamental legal principles including consideration, intention to create legal relations, and capacity to contract that must be adhered to in cohabitation agreements
Constructive Trusts: Common law principle where equity recognizes beneficial interest in property based on contributions or assurances made between cohabiting partners
Resulting Trusts: Common law principle where beneficial interest in property is presumed to result back to the person who provided the purchase money or contribution
Proprietary Estoppel: Legal doctrine preventing a person from denying another's rights to a property where they have made a clear assurance, which has been relied upon to the other's detriment
Cohabitation Rights Limitations: Legal principle establishing that cohabiting couples have no automatic rights similar to married couples under English law
Mandatory Legal Obligations: Principle that certain legal obligations, such as child maintenance, cannot be contracted out of in a cohabitation agreement
