At what point are two people considered to be common law partners?
May 21, 2021
Laura Smith
Legal Moment
Legal Moment on 980 CFPL
Transcript
| [phone ringing] | |
| Receptionist: | Cohen Highley |
| Announcer: | And now the Cohen Highley Legal Moment on 980 CFPL. |
| Announcer: | I’m with Laura Smith from Cohen Highley Lawyers. At what point are two people considered to be common law partners? |
| Laura Smith: | For family law purposes, there are two scenarios. In the first, two people who have continuously lived together in a conjugal relationship for three or more years would be considered common law partners in Ontario. |
| Announcer: | And the second scenario? |
| Laura Smith: | If a couple has a child together, and it doesn’t matter if they’ve had the child through birth or through adoption, and has been in a relation of some permanence, they’d also be considered common law partners in Ontario. |
| Announcer: | In the first scenario you mentioned living together for three years in a conjugal relationship. Does this just mean an intimate relationship? |
| Laura Smith: | A conjugal relationship is more than just a physically intimate relationship. Before a relationship can be considered a conjugal relationship, there must be other factors involved, such as an emotional connection, or there could be shared finances as well as other things on top of the physical intimacy and the fact the couple lives together. |
| Announcer: | Thanks Laura. This has been the Cohen Highley Legal Moment. |
| [Music] | |
| Singers: | Cohen Highley, we’re listening. cohenhighley.com |
