Harriet PriceRetired boxer David Haye's non-monogamous relationships are back in the spotlight in April 2026, as hosts Ant and Dec poke fun at his famous "throuple" arrangements on I'm a Celebrity... All Stars filming in South Africa. Haye — who has described relationships with model Sian Osborne, personal trainer Mica Jova, and at various points Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan and singer Una Healy — has inadvertently brought a question of national relevance into British living rooms: what are the actual legal rights of people in non-traditional relationship structures in the UK?
What the law says about non-monogamous relationships
The UK does not recognise polyamorous or multi-partner relationships in law. Only two people can be legally married or in a civil partnership at any one time, under the Marriage Act 1949 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004. This means that in a throuple or other multi-partner arrangement, only one relationship carries formal legal protections — and the others do not.
This has direct, practical consequences. If David Haye were to separate from one partner, that person would have no automatic legal claim to shared assets, inheritance rights, or parental rights (unless they are a biological or adoptive parent) — regardless of how long the relationship lasted or how intertwined their finances became.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of cohabiting couples in the UK (two or more people living together without marriage or civil partnership) has grown significantly in recent years, meaning millions of people are already living with fewer legal protections than they may realise. For those in multi-partner households, the gap is even larger.
The five biggest legal risks in non-traditional relationships
1. Property rights: If you are not on the mortgage deed and you are not married to the mortgage holder, you typically have no automatic right to any equity in the home — even if you have contributed financially for years. This applies equally to traditional cohabiting couples and to throuple arrangements.
2. Inheritance: Without a will, your estate passes according to the rules of intestacy, which recognise only spouses/civil partners and blood relatives. An unmarried partner of any kind — mono or poly — will receive nothing automatically.
3. Medical decisions: If a partner is incapacitated, only a spouse, civil partner, or formal legal guardian has automatic authority to make medical decisions. Other partners may be excluded entirely unless a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) has been put in place.
4. Pension rights: Most workplace pension death benefits are distributed at the discretion of the pension trustees. While trustees can consider the wishes of the deceased, an unmarried partner in a non-traditional arrangement may receive nothing if the correct paperwork was never completed.
5. Parental rights: Only biological parents and those with formal legal parental responsibility (via adoption, a parental order, or a court order) have automatic rights. A non-biological partner in a throuple has no automatic right to see a child if the relationship breaks down.
How to protect yourself legally — even without formal recognition
The good news is that UK law offers several tools to create legal protection even in relationships that are not formally recognised. A solicitor specialising in family or private client law can help you use these:
Cohabitation agreements: A legally binding contract between two or more people living together that sets out who owns what, how finances are managed, and what happens if the arrangement ends. While currently used mainly by cohabiting couples, there is no legal bar to drafting one for a multi-partner household.
Declaration of trust: If multiple people share a property, a deed of trust sets out exactly who owns what proportion. This is essential in any situation where financial contributions do not match the legal ownership on the title deeds.
Wills and inheritance planning: A will allows you to leave assets to whoever you choose, including non-married partners. Without one, your non-traditional relationship will be entirely invisible to the law.
Lasting Power of Attorney: Appointing a partner (or partners) as your LPA for health and welfare, as well as property and financial affairs, means that your wishes about who makes decisions for you will be legally binding — regardless of your relationship structure.
Nomination of beneficiaries for pensions and life insurance: Most pension providers and insurers have a beneficiary nomination form. Completing this correctly — and updating it when your relationships change — is one of the simplest and most powerful protections available.
Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult a qualified solicitor before making decisions about your legal arrangements.
The wider picture: UK family law is changing — but slowly
Law Commission reviews and parliamentary debates have repeatedly raised the question of whether UK family law should be updated to reflect how people actually live. The current framework was largely built in the 1970s. However, as of April 2026, no legislation to formally recognise non-traditional relationships or give cohabiting partners automatic rights has passed into law.
If you are in a non-traditional relationship — or even a long-term unmarried one — and you have not reviewed your legal arrangements recently, a consultation with a family law solicitor can be an eye-opening experience. On Expert Zoom, you can find legal experts specialising in family and cohabitation law who are available for online consultations.
David Haye's story has sparked conversation and laughter in equal measure. But the legal vulnerability it highlights is no laughing matter for the thousands of people in non-traditional relationships across the UK who are unaware of how little protection the law currently offers them.
