When Common-law relationship officially "started"

[sidkrose]

I am wondering what date to put for when our common law relationship actually started.

Here is the situation:

He moved in with me August 1st of 2009 - we can prove it.
He left Canada May 31st of 2010 when his visa expired

I moved in with him in Germany July 20th 2010 (so we were apart for 7 weeks)
I will have to go back to Canada July 18th or 19th of 2011 - so we would fulfill the 1 continuous year requirement

However - which date do I put as the start of our common law relationship, August 1st 2009 or July 20th 2010. I am inclined to put the first one, since the only time we were not living together were those 7 weeks, and we were planning to live together again as soon as I got to Germany.

What do you think?

[scylla]

I agree with you. I would put the first date!

[sidkrose]

Good! Ha ha. Does anyone disagree with us?

[Tiggilicious]

I dont know.

We began living together April 09 in the US.  In Aug 09 I had to come back to Canada ,   in December 09 he came upto Canada and has been here since, and we were told that since it wasnt a short break we had to put the Dec 09 date

[AlieW]

I think you have to put the first date - if you put the second date then you can't apply until after July 20th 2011.

Unless of course the plan is to only apply after July 20th in which case I would still put the first date (it was only 7 weeks apart and as you said you intended to live together during that period). You can explain in your application that the 7 week gap was becasue you needed the time to wrap up affairs in Canada before heading to Germany.

[sidkrose]

I think you have to put the first date - if you put the second date then you can't apply until after July 20th 2011.

Unless of course the plan is to only apply after July 20th in which case I would still put the first date (it was only 7 weeks apart and as you said you intended to live together during that period). You can explain in your application that the 7 week gap was becasue you needed the time to wrap up affairs in Canada before heading to Germany.

Yes, we do plan to apply after July 20th when I am back in Canada. I think I will put the first date, because, as I said, we still intended to live together during the time we were apart, and I did need the time to wrap stuff up in Canada, and he needed time to settle again in Germany and make adjustments before I came (for example he rearranged the room we would be living in and built some new furniture so that I would have space for my clothes and stuff, Haha).