Couple await supreme court decision over sale of house they shared | Life and style | The Guardian

Couple await supreme court decision over sale of house they shared | Life and style | The Guardian

A bungalow in Essex is at the heart of a test case over how unmarried partners who split up should divide their property.

The supreme court decision on whether the assets should be shared 50/50 or predominantly awarded to the woman who alone paid the mortgage for 13 years could influence the rights of millions of couples.

Five supreme court justices will have to resolve whether a court can decide what consitutes a fair distribution between Leonard Kernott and Patricia Jones, who separated in 1993 after sharing the home in Thundersley, Essex, for eight years.

There are thought to be two million unmarried couples living together in England and Wales and the case is being eagerly followed by family lawyers.

Kernott, 51, an icecream salesman, moved out after the break-up, leaving Jones, 56, to pay the mortgage, maintain the house – valued at £240,000 in 2008 – and bring up the couple's two children, the court heard.