Author Question: Patty, a junior in college, has been dating Jake, a senior at the same college, for almost 10 ... (Read 108 times)

geoffrey · **on:** Aug 3, 2018

Patty, a junior in college, has been dating Jake, a senior at the same college, for almost 10 months. They've been thinking about taking their relationship to the next level by living together. The couple thinks they might get married one day, but not for a while. They have both been struggling to make ends meet with large tuition bills, rents, eating, and her dog Fido, and his cat Princess, so living together might be a cheaper option than keeping two separate households. Patty and Jake know they don't own much now, but look forward to the future buying and owning great stuff with the salaries they'll earn from the great jobs they intend on with their college degrees. They have seen friends and relatives' relationships fall apart with big fights over ownership of stuff.

The love birds want to avoid this hassle that their friends and relatives experienced even though they know that whenever they do get married it will be for life and they will live happily ever after, but in the meantime, they are going to try living together. They've come to the Law Offices of Tillie Harper to find out if there is something that they should do to make sure that they have no arguments over their pets, personal belongings, payment of bills, bank accounts, etc. What should Atty. Harper tell this young couple about cohabitation agreements to help them out?

Question 2

Distinguish the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act (UPPA) approach and the Uniform Premarital and Marital Agreements Act (UPMAA) approach regarding prenuptial agreement enforceability.

What will be an ideal response?

dlook33 · **Reply #1 on:** Aug 3, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Students should be able to define cohabitation, and the contents of cohabitation agreements; how and what rights can be protected by this document. Additionally, Atty. Harper may distinguish a cohabitation agreement and a prenuptial agreement for the couple's future reference.

Answer to Question 2

The highlights are: UPAA looks to the fairness of the agreement at the time of the parties entered into the agreement; the UPMAA is mostly concerned with the more procedural safeguards adding the requirement that the parties must have access to independent legal representation.