Legal professionals across the UK are calling for family laws to be revised to offer more protection to cohabiting couples.

Research by accountancy firm Grant Thornton revealed that almost half of matrimonial lawyers believe the law needs to be updated to resolve legal uncertainties in the event of a separation.

Robert Kerr, forensic partner at the group, said lawyers want clarity and guidance over couple's rights because more and more people are choosing to live together without getting married.

"In the eyes of the courts, common law marriage does not hold the same legal rights for cohabiting couples as it does for married couples," he commented.

However, he warned that many cohabiting couples often do not realise this until it is too late.

Mr Kerr added that custody of children is one of the main issues that faces cohabiting couples, along with what happens to a person's inheritance if one of the partners dies.

This follows a separate Grant Thornton study, which found that the recession could lead to fewer married couples choosing to get divorced, as they would find it difficult to afford living independently