Spousal Maintenance and the future

Just thinking about wording that I would like in a consent order. Does the below sound reasonable? who makes the decision as to this wording and can ex disagree??
Spousal maintenance will cease on remarriage, if wife cohabits for a period of more than 12 months plus, spousal maintenance will cease, but will be reinvoked if cohabitation ceases".

Thanks any advice appreciated

I don't know if this is what you and your ex have agreed would be acceptable but I thought it was usually that SM ceases after 6 months cohab. I also think it is unusual that SM would be reinstated if a relationship fails.

even though it would be nice to have spousal maintenance in between partners, it is not really fair for the person paying.

Thanks for reply, really want this wording or my own life will be on hold for a very long time, as my youngest is only 5. I am not sure I will be able to ever cohabit as the risk financially will be too dangerous if a relationship failed, and maintenance could not be reinstated. Not sure I can take that risk for the childrens sake.

My x however is cohabiting with a women who has a professional job and owns her own house outright from which she gets rental income. He claims she is not contributing a penny??!! why should it be one rule for him and another for me?

Can anyone else shed any light?

It's possible to say that SM will be reduced to a nominal amount after 6 months cohabitation. That way there is insurance that the children don't suffer undue hardship if the new relationship fails.

Thanks Fiona that really helps. I have got final hearing coming up soon. I am now planning an open proposal to settle before do you know if I should I include these things then?or do the finer details come later???

I must say that when advising men I ask them to consider one or two things.
The first is that, if an order for spousal maintenance is terminated because of the cohabitation of the person receiving it, and the cohabitation then breaks down, the SM can't revive, and this could lead to serious problems for the receipient.
The second is that (IMHO ) SM should not be terminated because of a short relationship, and I personally think that 6 months is too short. Perhaps others might disagree.
So I have tended to suggest to men who want to end their SM on cohabitation that it might be better to ask for a nominal order after the receipient has cohabited for a period of 12 months. I feel a Court might look more sympathetically on such a request then it would do if the payer was asking for a total discharge after 6 months.
Of course, even if there is no provision in the order, a payer of SM could ask for a discharge or reduction anyway if the receipient was cohabiting and in some cases it might be appropriate.
This is just a personal view and not everyone would agree.
LMM