New study is a wake-up call for anyone deciding to enter into a long-term relationship : most systems disadvantage the economically weaker partner, often the woman

This study shows that most systems disadvantage the economically weaker partner, usually a woman. At present, only marriage with joint property offers the best protection. The study also proposes a series of measures to best protect each partner within each system.

This unique study for our country is part of the Secretary of State's ambition to have a full picture of all the mechanisms that contribute to the financial and wealth gap between women and men, so that it can be tackled. This study shows that the systems of 'marriage with separation of property' and 'legal and de facto cohabitation' leave the economically weaker individuals, mainly women, less protected than a 'marriage with community of property'.  

The problem arises in particular when one of the partners decides to work less, often the woman.

This is too little known among people who want to enter into a long-term relationship. The problem mainly arises when one of the partners starts to work less in order to have more time to look after the house and/or the children. Figures from the Institute for Gender Equality show that 88.4% of men work full time, compared to 54.8% of women. This affects both women's wages and pensions. And when the relationship breaks down, they lose out: they have built up less wealth, have lower wages and a smaller pension later on".

A wake-up call

Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities, Marie-Colline Leroy: "This study is a wake-up call for anyone who decides to enter into a long-term relationship: do your research and dare to think about the financial consequences of your decisions if the relationship goes wrong. Ideally, each partner would be equally responsible for the home and family, but we know that this is not yet the case. Those who work less in a 'legal partnership' to look after the house and/or children or help their partner with their job should be compensated financially, as is the case in a marriage with joint property. I would like to consult professionals in this field (judges, lawyers, notaries, etc.) and discuss with them the best way to put this into practice".

Those who prefer not to marry with joint property can solve this by drawing up an additional cohabitation contract with the notary. This option needs to be better known, which is one of the conclusions of the study. With this study, Marie-Colline Leroy, the Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities, hopes to raise awareness and make concrete proposals to ensure that the economically weaker party in any relationship is optimally protected.