*URGENT* Spouse sharing with living expenses

[zgkrn]

My mother-in-law sponsored her husband and 2 children to come to Canada. She is currently in a tight financial situation. Though her husband and children are already working, is it legal for her to ask her husband to share with their living expenses (rent and groceries)?

What if they plan to rent a different apartment without her husband, is she still responsible to provide for him?

Your insights will be really helpful

 

[scylla]

My mother-in-law sponsored her husband and 2 children to come to Canada. She is currently in a tight financial situation. Though her husband and children are already working, is it legal for her to ask her husband to share with their living expenses (rent and groceries)?

What if they plan to rent a different apartment without her husband, is she still responsible to provide for him?

Your insights will be really helpful

She can certainly ask her husband to share the living expenses.

She is responsible for them financially. If they go on social assistance, she will be responsible for paying this money back to the government.

 

[zgkrn]

She can certainly ask her husband to share the living expenses.

She is responsible for them financially. If they go on social assistance, she will be responsible for paying this money back to the government.

Will it have legal implications or any implications on their status? Her husband is threatening her that he will inform ircc that she is requiring him to share with the living expenses

 

[scylla]

Will it have legal implications or any implications on their status? Her husband is threatening her that he will inform ircc that she is requiring him to share with the living expenses

There is no issue with her asking him to help with the living expenses. It would be normal for him to help pay for the living expenses. This is an empty threat. There is nothing for him to report to IRCC.

 

[armoured]

Will it have legal implications or any implications on their status? Her husband is threatening her that he will inform ircc that she is requiring him to share with the living expenses

As another poster noted: an entirely empty threat, at least the part about telling IRCC anything that will harm her.

She can kick him out, require him to pay rent, etc. She's not required to support his current lifestyle.

He would have to apply for social assistance, and if he is working, will be subject to means-testing anyway - that is, he may be refused assistance on basis he's too well off. It may take some time before he would get any.

Yes, if he goes on social assistance, some of this would eventually be claimed by government from her. While that may seem scary, the amounts that he would likely be able to get would be not generous - low in the sense that it would likely be difficult for him to live off.