Common Law PR - Advice Needed

[shahrozk_98]

Hey all, so gf and I have been together for over a year and will be living together for almost a year too. She’s PR so we’re going to go the common law PR route for me, we’re both in Vancouver and I was just wondering if there any advices you could offer before starting the process and if anyone knows good lawyer in the Vancouver area (should I even get one even if it’s just to double check everything )

thank you!

 

[armoured]

Hey all, so gf and I have been together for over a year and will be living together for almost a year too. She’s PR so we’re going to go the common law PR route for me, we’re both in Vancouver and I was just wondering if there any advices you could offer before starting the process and if anyone knows good lawyer in the Vancouver area (should I even get one even if it’s just to double check everything )

thank you!

Main bit of advice if going common law is to document VERY carefully and thoroughly that you are cohabitating - with official supporting documents, like lease, insurance, utilities, whatever - that shows when you began living together. The common law living together one year minimum is a strict legal requirement - one day off or not clear evidence at the time of applying when it began means you were not common law at time of applying and NOT eligible. The onus is on you to demonstrate it.

This is particularly important when the period of cohabitation is just barely over a year (understandably if a couple has been living together eg five years it's less of an issue when it began.) Things like living in shared housing with others can make that more challenging.

And yes, for purposes of applying, marriage does make it somewhat easier (the 'legal' aspect of being a spouse is clear, mainly need to show the relationship is genuine).

 

[shahrozk_98]

Main bit of advice if going common law is to document VERY carefully and thoroughly that you are cohabitating - with official supporting documents, like lease, insurance, utilities, whatever - that shows when you began living together. The common law living together one year minimum is a strict legal requirement - one day off or not clear evidence at the time of applying when it began means you were not common law at time of applying and NOT eligible. The onus is on you to demonstrate it.

This is particularly important when the period of cohabitation is just barely over a year (understandably if a couple has been living together eg five years it's less of an issue when it began.) Things like living in shared housing with others can make that more challenging.

And yes, for purposes of applying, marriage does make it somewhat easier (the 'legal' aspect of being a spouse is clear, mainly need to show the relationship is genuine).

Both our names are on our rental agreement as well as various bills ( wifi, utilities) although we have been advised to open a joint bank account together so we will be doing that too. Besides that we ofc I believe have various methods to prove the relationship is genuine (pics, texts each dated of course - thank you modern technology! Haha)