Jo Edwards quoted in the Independent about ground-breaking new case for cohabitants

Jo was quoted in a piece in the Independent about a new Supreme Court case, In the matter of an application by Denise Brewster for Judicial Review (Northern Ireland).

The narrow point was whether, in that case, the partner of a man who had died was entitled to make claims against his pension where he had failed to complete the necessary nomination form but they satisfied all other criteria for a settled relationship.  The same rules did not apply for married couples and the Court found that this was discrimination.  The possible wider ramifications is that it may be said that cohabiting couples are discriminated against, relative to their married counterparts, in lots of other ways – lack of intestacy rights, tax breaks, inheritance tax exemptions on the death of the first partner etc – and the case may pave the way for claims to be brought about those issues.

Click here for the article. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/supreme-court-women-denise-brewster-late-partner-pension-william-leonard-mcmullan-uk-unmarried-a7568576.html