Newbie - Cover letters

Are cover letters necessary to add to my initial FLR(M) application? If so, what information should they contain and should both myself and my sponsor write one?

Since I'm switching from a tier 4, do I need additional proof of our relationship besides the required marriage certificate and correspondence documents? We got married on November 24,  but we've been living together since July 2016. Will they need photos of us together or anything like that? Or will the required documents suffice.

Thank you! 

Are cover letters necessary to add to my initial FLR(M) application? If so, what information should they contain and should both myself and my sponsor write one?

The applicant doesn't need to include a cover letter, unless there's anything complicated to explain (like criminal convictions, previous refused UK visas, documents you cannot provide etc.)

Your sponsor can include a letter, but it's not listed on the required documents for FLR(M), so I don't think it's strictly necessary for FLR(M).

If the sponsor does write one, it should include:
1) How they are eligible to be a sponsor (their UK citizenship).
2) How they meet the financial requirement and which category you are applying under
3) Where you live (or will live) together in the UK - address and property details
4) A short history of the relationship... facts/dates only and how you keep in contact (i.e. you live together)

Since I'm switching from a tier 4, do I need additional proof of our relationship besides the required marriage certificate and correspondence documents? We got married on November 24,  but we've been living together since July 2016. Will they need photos of us together or anything like that? Or will the required documents suffice.

You should send a photo of you together anyway (even if you are not switching from a Tier 4) - this is just to prove you have definitely met in person.

The main concern with switching from Tier 4 to FLR(M) is that you might be marrying simply to stay in the UK after your visa has ended, but as you've been living together for 1.5 years and can prove you already have a long-term, established relationship in the UK, you shouldn't need to include much more than that.

However, if you were in a relationship before you came to the UK on your Tier 4, it may be worth including some additional evidence from before July 2016, just to show evidence of your relationship. For example, an earlier photo of you together, evidence of trips to see each other or emails/messages sent to each other.

The applicant doesn't need to include a cover letter, unless there's anything complicated to explain (like criminal convictions, previous refused UK visas, documents you cannot provide etc.)

Your sponsor can include a letter, but it's not listed on the required documents for FLR(M), so I don't think it's strictly necessary for FLR(M).

If the sponsor does write one, it should include:
1) How they are eligible to be a sponsor (their UK citizenship).
2) How they meet the financial requirement and which category you are applying under
3) Where you live (or will live) together in the UK - address and property details
4) A short history of the relationship... facts/dates only and how you keep in contact (i.e. you live together)

Very helpful, thanks! I might include one just because my sponsor gets paid commission as well. His base salary is above the minimum needed, I just want everything to be clear and easy to digest. I aim to keep the officer processing our application in a good mood. 

You should send a photo of you together anyway (even if you are not switching from a Tier 4) - this is just to prove you have definitely met in person.

The main concern with switching from Tier 4 to FLR(M) is that you might be marrying simply to stay in the UK after your visa has ended, but as you've been living together for 1.5 years and can prove you already have a long-term, established relationship in the UK, you shouldn't need to include much more than that.

However, if you were in a relationship before you came to the UK on your Tier 4, it may be worth including some additional evidence from before July 2016, just to show evidence of your relationship. For example, an earlier photo of you together, evidence of trips to see each other or emails/messages sent to each other.

We started dating back in 2013 so I'll go dig out some photos now! Would screenshots of Facebook and Instagram posts suffice? Should photos be originals/on photo paper? We tend to just snap 'em on our phones or use the little Polaroid camera we have.

Thanks for your help! Much appreciated!

Very helpful, thanks! I might include one just because my sponsor gets paid commission as well. His base salary is above the minimum needed, I just want everything to be clear and easy to digest. I aim to keep the officer processing our application in a good mood. 

There's no need to mention the commission at all - as long as his base salary is above the minimum, that's all that matters. By mentioning commission too, you just end up complicating things and giving the officer more work - because then they have to get their head around the commission part, when they don't even need to consider it at all.

So, if that was the only reason for the letter, I wouldn't bother including one.

We started dating back in 2013 so I'll go dig out some photos now! Would screenshots of Facebook and Instagram posts suffice? Should photos be originals/on photo paper? We tend to just snap 'em on our phones or use the little Polaroid camera we have.

Only 2 photos at most should be included - one from the wedding in 2017 and one from earlier, maybe when you first started dating in 2013. They should ideally be printed on proper photo paper.

In terms of messages, in general, things like Facebook and Instagram should NOT be included, as they aren't really considered reliable sources of evidence (accounts can easily be forged). However, if you have any emails (just screenshots of your inbox showing a list of emails sent), phone logs or things like WhatsApp/Skype, you can include those.

You shouldn't include more than 2 sheets of paper for communication... just a list of dates/times/subject lines, with no actual message content.

Think of it like an old itemised phone bill (before internet).. you just get a list of numbers, dates and call lengths - you don't get a recording of the conversation.