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Single vs Common Law

Sarah8373

Newbie
Dec 3, 2009
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0
I am confused with the definition of common law, and I wish someone could help me with it.

Me and my bf started dating in May 2008, and one months later, he changed his address to my address, and we opened an joint account, only because we always eat together, and don't want to share our bills everytime. At that time, we are not really living together.

I applied PNP in October 2008, and declared my status as single.
I received my PNP certificate in January 2009 and mail out my federal application in March, 2009, and still declared myself as single.

In June 2009, we moved to an apartment, and co-signed a lease, and officially started living together.

In August 2009, my bf submitted his PNP and declared himself still as single.

I am wondering who determins us to be common law partners, what if we don't want to be common law partners, can we just be bf and gf who are living together with a joint bank account? or as long as we do so, we are binded and automatically entered a common law relationship no matter we want it or not. If that is the case, when would be the start date of our common law relationship, by the day that he started using my address as his, the day that we opened an joint account, or the day we actually started living together... if go by the day we moved together, it's only been 6 months, lesss than a year, so technically now we are still not common law partners and still single...
 

Swede

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Sarah8373 said:
I am confused with the definition of common law, and I wish someone could help me with it.

Me and my bf started dating in May 2008, and one months later, he changed his address to my address, and we opened an joint account, only because we always eat together, and don't want to share our bills everytime. At that time, we are not really living together.

I applied PNP in October 2008, and declared my status as single.
I received my PNP certificate in January 2009 and mail out my federal application in March, 2009, and still declared myself as single.

In June 2009, we moved to an apartment, and co-signed a lease, and officially started living together.

In August 2009, my bf submitted his PNP and declared himself still as single.

I am wondering who determins us to be common law partners, what if we don't want to be common law partners, can we just be bf and gf who are living together with a joint bank account? or as long as we do so, we are binded and automatically entered a common law relationship no matter we want it or not. If that is the case, when would be the start date of our common law relationship, by the day that he started using my address as his, the day that we opened an joint account, or the day we actually started living together... if go by the day we moved together, it's only been 6 months, lesss than a year, so technically now we are still not common law partners and still single...
Different authorities define common-law relationship differently and in the case of the CIC it is defined as one year of continuous cohabitation.
 

Karlshammar

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Sep 3, 2009
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Not just cohabitation, but also a commingling of affairs, i.e. joint accounts, cars, property, and/or similar things (not all those things may be reqiured).

The point I'm making is that simply living with your boyfriend/girlfriend may not satisfy the CIC unless there are other factors that back it up.