Question follow-through · 129715
Succession: Cohabitation
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps to modernise the Inheritance Act to reflect a) common law partners and b) common law partners whose marriage plans were underway before one of those partners passed away.
About this written question
A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.
- Answering body
- Ministry of Justice
- Tabled
- 24 Apr 2026
- Target answer date
- 29 Apr 2026
- Answer
- 29 Apr 2026 · 5 calendar days after tabling
Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.
More questions by this MP on Justice and policing
- Cohabitation: Succession · 29 May 2026
Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.
Votes on this topic
- Opposition Day: Early release of prisoners · 7 Jul 2026
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Recorded timeline
24 Apr 2026
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps to modernise the Inheritance Act to reflect a) common law partners and b) common law partners whose marriage plans were underway before one of those partners passed away.
29 Apr 2026
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
29 Apr 2026
Answer published
There is no legal status of “common law partners” in England and Wales. Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, cohabitants (where they were living together as if married or in a civil partnership for at least two years) may ...
Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Cohabitation: Succession
29 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the consultation into increasing inheritance rights for cohabitants will begin; when he expects it to be completed; when he expects proposals based on this consultation to be brought before Parliament; and w