I have survived a divorce but vowed not to marry again. I am considering buying a home jointly with my girlfriend, also a divorcee. I am in a better financial position , having my own company, while she is on a modest salary. I would put down most of the money into the purchase of the home. Would it be beneficial to make an agreement ?
By: דיאנה שאלתיאל•Published on: 27 June, 2022Yes, an agreement would be clearly beneficial to you. A property relations agreement allows the parties to exclude certain property from joint ownership and makes like simpler in the event of a split up. Without making a written agreement a cohabiting woman would be entitled to 50% of property acquired during the time she lived with her man.
Thus, if your girlfriend agrees to co-operate regarding an agreement, then you can protect your business interests and hopefully ensure that your share in the home you purchase would be more or less proportional to your investment.
WARNING – A danger exists for a man in this situation who does not protect his interests by drafting an agreement. If he does not have an agreement drafted his girlfriend may have a claim against him in the future if they split up. If, for example, his business was small, or she claims it was, when they met but large and successful when they split up, she could sue him for half of the business’s growth , claiming that it was joint property.