Buying a house together 'shows commitment'!

Amy Harris, a lawyer at Slater & Gordon, said: 'Cohabitation agreements have been around for years but recently we have seen more couples coming to us and asking about how they work.

'Anecdotally we all know people who have lost huge amounts of money after a relationship went wrong because a property was involved and, as this research shows, many couples now view buying a house as a way of making a romantic commitment, not a serious financial commitment.

'It is more difficult than ever to get on the housing ladder and it makes sense that two salaries will put you in a better financial position with regards to what you can afford.

'But investing in a property together can leave you financially vulnerable if things do go wrong.'