Pros and Cons of Marriage vs. Common-Law:  Which is Best for You? 

So you’ve found yourself a lifelong partner – someone who you think is “The One”.  It looks like happily-ever-after is well within reach for you.  Now what?  Do you get married?  Or do you choose to live together in a common-law relationship?  It’s an important decision. That’s because in Ontario, each of these options comes with distinct legal rights and responsibilities. Understanding the...

Common-Law Relationships in Ontario:  The Essentials

Under Canadian Family law, there are two categories of romantic relationships that are recognized:  1) Formal marriages, and 2) Common-law unions.   With common-law relationships in particular, there is often a misconception that the two partners – being unmarried – must simply “walk away” from each other, with no string attached.  But this is not quite true.  In fact, common-law relationships...

Marriage Versus Common-Law in Ontario – What’s the Difference?

According to the latest reports by Statistics Canada, marriage rates have been on the decline in the past few years, while common-law relationships have been on the rise. This ebb and flow in the popularity of each is due to many factors, of course. But at least some of them relate to the differences between each type of relationship union.   MARRIAGE Beginning Requires obtaining a marriage...

5 Divorce Myths You Need to Know

Going through a divorce is an experience that is going to be different for everyone, so there’s going to be lots of stories that circulate from people’s experiences going through this. From those stories, there may be some myths created that just aren’t true about going through a divorce. Here’s are 5 myths about divorce that you need to know. #1 Someone should win, and someone should lose...

Ending a Common-Law Relationship? Here’s What You Need to Know

Living together without getting married doesn’t make a relationship any less valid, and those relationships experience the same issues and roadblocks that legally married couples do. Those relationships can also come to an end – even after years together. The process for ending a common-law relationship is not exactly the same as going through a divorce, but there are some important things...

I Am in a Common Law Relationship: What Are My Property Rights?

Property Rights and Common Law Marriage in Ontario Common-law standing for couples in Ontario stipulates that the couple must have been living together in a “conjugal relationship” for no less than three years. But that timeline changes to just one year if the couple serves a parental role or is birth parents of a child. There is a long list of common law property rights guaranteed to...

Common Law Ontario: Requirements, Property Rights, Child Support Obligations

Common law in Ontario means the couple must have been living together in a “conjugal relationship” for at least three years. That duration changes to one year if the couple are the parents of a child. There are some misconceptions about the legal implications of the common law marriage in Ontario. As a legal matter, “common-law” relationships fall under the jurisdiction of courts in the...

Are Common Law Relationships Pushing the Divorce Rate Down?

It’s likely that they are. To understand how, let’s look at some of the facts around common-law relationships. How common is common law? According to the CBC, as of the 2011 census, 11% of Canadian women were living with a common-law partner. And people of all ages are changing the way they approach relationships. Historica reports that “Today, first unions are more likely...