A checklist with a tick beside a small house model and a key, suggesting a quick decision tool

29 May 2026 · Interactive tool

Do I need a declaration of trust? Take the 1-minute test

Answer five quick questions for a tailored steer on whether you need a declaration of trust when buying or owning a home with someone in the UK.

A small house model beside a stack of coins with a percentage symbol, a calculator and a charted document, viewed from above

29 May 2026 · 6 min read

Declaration of trust and capital gains tax: what you need to know

How capital gains tax works on a co-owned property, the trap that catches unmarried couples, and how a declaration of trust affects who pays what.

An overhead sequence of a house key, a signed document with a pen, and a small house model, suggesting steps in a process

29 May 2026 · 5 min read

How to get a declaration of trust: the step-by-step process

From agreeing your shares to signing the deed and registering at the Land Registry. The step-by-step process of getting a declaration of trust in the UK.

Two documents side by side, one about a single house and one about a couple's wider finances, shown as a comparison

29 May 2026 · 5 min read

Declaration of trust vs cohabitation agreement: what's the difference?

A declaration of trust covers who owns the property; a cohabitation agreement covers the whole relationship's finances. How they differ, and which you need.

Older hands passing a small house-shaped gift to younger hands, with a house model nearby

29 May 2026 · 6 min read

Bank of Mum and Dad: protecting a gifted deposit with a declaration of trust

Parents helping with the deposit? How a declaration of trust protects gifted money when you buy a home, the lender rules to know, and gift versus loan.

Two coffee cups and two sets of keys beside a single house model and a signed document, viewed from above

29 May 2026 · 5 min read

Declaration of trust for unmarried couples: why it matters

Unmarried couples have no automatic property rights. Why a declaration of trust matters when you buy together, what to put in it, and what happens without one.

Two near-identical legal documents side by side on a desk, each with a wax seal, a fountain pen resting between them

29 May 2026 · 4 min read

Deed of trust vs declaration of trust: are they the same thing?

Deed of trust or declaration of trust - what's the difference? For UK property they usually mean the same document. What actually matters, and the US mix-up to avoid.

Brass balance scales weighing a small house against a stack of coins and banknotes, with a calculator and a document beside them

29 May 2026 · 5 min read

How much does a declaration of trust cost in the UK?

What you can expect to pay for a declaration of trust in 2026, from solicitor fees to DIY templates, what changes the price, and why it is far cheaper than a dispute.

A solicitor's desk from above with a signed document, pen and glasses on one side and a plain DIY form on the other, a small house model between them

29 May 2026 · 5 min read

Do you need a solicitor for a declaration of trust?

You are not legally required to use a solicitor for a declaration of trust. Here is when DIY is a false economy, the risks involved, and why independent advice matters.

A notebook, a stack of bank statements, a small house model, and a magnifying glass resting on a receipt, viewed from above

28 May 2026 · 6 min read

How to prove what you paid towards a home you co-own

If you and your co-owner disagree about who paid what, evidence settles it. What counts as proof of your contributions to a UK property, and how to keep it.

A small house and a set of keys balanced on a pair of scales, with a wooden gavel resting beside them

28 May 2026 · 6 min read

Can you force the sale of a jointly owned property?

One of you wants to sell and the other does not. How forcing the sale of a jointly owned property works in England and Wales under TOLATA, and what a court weighs up.

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28 May 2026 · 6 min read

Unequal deposits and a joint mortgage: protecting the bigger contribution

Put in a bigger deposit than your partner? How to protect that money on a jointly owned home in the UK, from the way you hold the property to recording every payment.

A house-shaped pie chart split into two unequal slices, resting on a folder of documents beside a pen and a single key

28 May 2026 · 6 min read

Splitting up and not married: how to claim your share of the house

Unmarried couples have no automatic right to each other's property. How to claim your share of a jointly owned home in England and Wales if you split up.

Two side-by-side house illustrations, one undivided and one split into two distinct coloured sections

28 May 2026 · 5 min read

Joint tenants vs tenants in common: which should you choose?

Joint tenants or tenants in common? The way you hold a UK property decides what happens to your share if you split up or die. Here is how to choose.

A desk with a house key, signed legal document, pen, and two coffee cups viewed from above

26 May 2026 · 5 min read

What is a Declaration of Trust and why does it matter?

A plain-English guide to Declarations of Trust for unmarried couples buying property together in the UK. What they cover, what they cost, and what happens without one.

A kitchen table with a laptop showing a bar chart, a small house model, and a notebook

26 May 2026 · 4 min read

How to track property contributions (and why a spreadsheet won't cut it)

Why couples who own property together need a proper contribution record, what solicitors actually look for, and how to keep one without it becoming a chore.

Split illustration showing a kitchen mid-renovation on the left and a finished kitchen on the right

26 May 2026 · 4 min read

What counts as a capital improvement on a jointly owned property?

Kitchen extension or new sofa? Not everything you spend on the home shifts your beneficial ownership. Here is what counts and what does not.

A house illustration with a progress bar representing equity building up

26 May 2026 · 4 min read

Mortgage overpayments and beneficial ownership: what you need to know

If one of you makes extra mortgage payments, does that change who owns what? A practical look at overpayments, equity, and Declarations of Trust in the UK.

A house viewed from the front with a subtle dividing line down the middle and two separate paths

26 May 2026 · 5 min read

What happens to your property if you split up and you are not married?

Unmarried couples in the UK do not get the same legal protection as married ones. Here is what actually happens to a jointly owned home if the relationship ends.

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