The BAC Law Lecture Series:
Cohabitation and Property Ownership
Property Rights in Marriages:
A Lecture by Ms Puvanal Sri
This October saw Brickfields Asia College hold an insightful law lecture series titled Cohabitation and Property Ownership. The event featured two esteemed speakers, BAC's very own Anne Shyamala, a Senior Lecturer, and Puvanal Sri, a lecturer, who discussed the complex legal framework surrounding property rights for couples, especially unmarried ones.
The first speaker, Puvanal Sri, delved into the topic of property rights in marriages, focusing on how married couples legally divide their property. She highlighted the various statutory protections married individuals enjoy, which make property divisions more structured and predictable. Puvanal’s discussion provided a foundational understanding of how property ownership works within legally binding marriages.
Cohabitation Laws and Property Ownership:
Anne Shyamala’s Insights
The second lecturer, Anne Shyamala, shifted the focus to cohabitation laws. She questioned whether the creation of statutes governing cohabitation would benefit or complicate relationships. Unlike marriages, cohabitants often have no guaranteed statutory protection over property ownership, leaving them vulnerable during separation. Anne explored the legal challenges cohabitants face when parting ways, emphasising the lack of clear legal expectations compared to married couples.
Anne also touched on the expectations of cohabitants when they separate, especially regarding property ownership. Given the absence of formal legal protections for unmarried couples, separations can be complex and painful. The lecture opened up discussions on whether new legal frameworks should be introduced to protect the rights of cohabitants and make property division clearer and more equitable.
Overall, this lecture series was a great way for our 2nd year law students and all other curious lawyers to get a deeper understanding of the significant legal differences between marriage and cohabitation in relation to property ownership. However, this is just the start and there will be plenty more lecture series' on a plethora of legal issues coming to BAC.
So, stay tuned and get ready to learn!
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