Avopuoliso

Avopuoliso is a Finnish term meaning a person who lives with another person in a long-term, romantic relationship without being married or in a registered partnership. It describes a live-in partner who shares a home and daily life with their partner. The term is widely used in common usage and in some legal contexts to distinguish from a legally married spouse (aviopuoliso) and from a registered partner (rekisteröity parisuhde).

In everyday language avopuoliso refers to someone who is part of a couple but not married or in a registered partnership. The status does not by itself create automatic legal rights or obligations that are identical to those of a spouse or a registered partner. Rights and duties depend on applicable law and any agreements the couple has made. For example, property ownership, maintenance, and inheritance can be different from those of married couples; couples can use cohabitation agreements or wills to regulate such issues.

When a couple with an avopuoliso ends their relationship, assets and debts are divided according to general civil law unless there is a contract specifying other arrangements. If one partner dies, the surviving avopuoliso does not automatically inherit under the default inheritance rules, but may inherit under a will or through other legal mechanisms.

In summary, avopuoliso denotes a living-together partner who is not married or in a registered partnership, with rights and responsibilities largely defined by broader laws and any private agreements rather than by a separate avopuoliso-specific statute.