1. What does
cohabitation mean?
A marriage-like union:
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You are in a relationship
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You live together
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You support each other
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You may have children together or bought your own home
... but you didn't get married 💍
2. What are the
advantages of cohabitation?
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No wedding expenses 💸
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Lower taxes thanks to individual taxation
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More AHV pension per person: married couples receive 150% of an AHV pension together, whereas cohabiting partners each get 100% (which adds up to 200%)
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you can split up without involving courts and lawyers
...but these advantages also come with risks
3. What are the
disadvantages of cohabitation?
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No widower's pension from the AHV ☠️
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You do not inherit from each other automatically - and even with a will, the partner often pays high inheritance taxes
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In the event of a separation, the pension fund is not divided and no alimony payments are owed to the partner - regardless of your financial position
... and that's why (you got it) the cohabitation contract is worth it 😉
4.Why do I need a
cohabitation contract?
With a cohabitation contract, you write down how you take care for each other (financially and otherwise), how you run the household, who takes care of the children or who works how much.
You can also make financial decisions that will be relevant in the event of a separation - e.g. alimony for a partner who worked less or not at all while taking care of the children.
... so go ahead, download the template and #getitdone 👇
Cohabitation the new "normal" family model?
Facts about cohabitation:
Cohabitation is also becoming increasingly popular in Switzerland. Children born in cohabitation have increased by about 50%, while the birth rate in Switzerland has remained relatively stable (source: BfS 2022).
Legal regulations often struggle to keep up with social development. In the canton of Valais, the ban on concubinage would only be lifted in 1995.
If you live in cohabitation, you must be aware that you are not "by default" as well protected as married couples.
You can find out what else you should consider below 👇
The cohabitation international:
Cohabitation is even more popular only among our neighbours. Nonmarital births in %:
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🇨🇭 – 26.5% [for comparison]
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🇩🇪 – 33.3%
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🇦🇹 – 40.6%
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🇫🇷 – 61.0%
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Data as of 2019
Switzerland is one of the latecomers in such developments. However, we can assume that the proportion of children born in cohabitation will continue to increase over the next 10 years.
Cohabitation done, now what?
As good as our cohabitation contract 📜 in the member's area is, the contract alone will not fix everything. There are several other issues that you should also regulate.
Below👇 , under "More topics on Awina" you will find related topics to which we have already compiled the most important information. Also with the focus on couples in cohabitation.