What else can we add for proof of our common-law relationship?

[sanda]

Hi everyone, we need your advise!! We have a few problems on the proof of our common-law relationship and want to enhance the proof's strength.


1. Cohabitation aspect (Joint lease agreement)
We have it on both names. But that is revised a previous agreement that one of us made the agreement (one another added) so that the starting lease date (February 2011) is carried over from the previous. Our cohabitation actually starts on July 2011 And the joint agreement made way later than we started to live together. (September 2012)

We asked landlord (a company managing the apartment building) to write a letter to CIC that we both live in our suite, but the letter states they confirm us to reside from August 2012 based on their record. (That's not even one year yet!)

We are not sure if we use this letter though, we add several document to support our cohabitation aspect.
- An additional paper to explain the difference of dates between cohabitation starting date on form and lease starting date on the joint agreement.
- Two letters from our roommates that states we are living in a room together and having marriage-like life.
- Post mails we both received over our cohabitation.

Do you think they would be effective? Do you have any advice for supporting documents?


2. Financial aspect (Joint bank account)
We don't have a joint bank account and can't make it right away. We only have a copy of check that the one transfered money to the one another's bank account due to close of bank account. Why we don't have joint bank account is because we always deal with payment stuff (rent, utilities) in turn or in cash(eat out, grocery). We will explain how we managed money in an additional paper though, do you have any advice?


Other things we will submit for proof of relationship are...
- Common-law union
- Statutory declaration from two individual
- Letter from two friends
- Photos (Nearly 100)
- Inquiry of joint travel
- Christmas cards from family to us
- Proof of one's visit in our long-relationship period
- Mails in our long-relationship period


We're really afraid if it's not enough.. Any advice, idea, knowledge, experience would be a great help!!

 

[Rob_TO]

A joint lease is not a mandatory requirement to prove common-law. During the time you lived together but did not have a shared lease, showing some bills sent to the address from when you first started living together, would help prove you were indeed cohabiting. Letter from roommates are good... and if possible just get the landlord/management company to give another letter with the correct dates. CIC will give more weight to an official letter from landlord vs your friends.

Additional proofs you can include are
- filing taxes as common-law couple, since you would have become common-law July 2012, and should have filed as common-law with CRA for 2012 tax year. This will be evident if your "Option C" printout from CRA is for the 2012 tax year.
- joint credit card. If one person already has credit card, just get a second supplementary card in the other persons name. You can then show 1 credit card bill with both your names on it.
- get some cheap term life insurance, with each other listed as primary beneficiary

 

[AnaMaria]

I did not have joint bank accounts. We share the expenses from our own accounts. We included receipts and expense management sheet in excel which we have kept.

Try to have letters from your roommates notarized.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi

In my opinion, DO NOT include that landlord letter with the Aug 2012 date. Something like that, contradicting all of your other information, just throws suspicion on you guys, even if you try to explain it.

Include an additional letter explaining the discrepancy between the original lease date of Feb 2011, the cohabitation date of July 2011 and the lease modification date of Sept 2012. The big thing will be including mail received by each of you (utilities, bank and credit card statements, tax letters, basically anything official) at the address from July 2011 onwards. That proves that even though the lease was only modified Sept 2012, you were already living together. The letters from your roommates should definitely be included as well.

Both names on the lease and the mail going back to July 2011, you guys should be fine.


Not having a joint account is not really seen as a bad thing these days and it isn't a requirement . If your individual bank statements show you paying things in turn, include them. Any matching entries on your individual statements, even if they are a few months apart, are great proof. Example, your May statement shows the rent being paid and your partner's September statement shows it; highlight both payments and put together. If you can't show anything like that, then a letter explaining why not would be a good idea.


All of the other things you are submitting are good. If you travelled together, the e-ticket emails with both names are really good.

 

[Isometry]

Your relationship proof seems fine, but thew cohabitation proof might be a bit shakier.

Did the two of you have cars or driver's licenses registered to the same address?

Do you have any texts/emails for the time period that your lease doesn't cover? Anything where you discussed moving in would be good, as would any texts/emails that would be characteristic of a couple living together (for example, "I'm at the store do we need milk?" or "There's lots of traffic, I'll be late getting home") If you have anything like that, I'd add those as part of your proof of cohabitation.

 

[osdamour]

I suggest you to add letter that you guys received from that address. the older the better. This is a proof that you guys where living together longer before you renew your appartment lease.

 

[sanda]

A joint lease is not a mandatory requirement to prove common-law. During the time you lived together but did not have a shared lease, showing some bills sent to the address from when you first started living together, would help prove you were indeed cohabiting. Letter from roommates are good... and if possible just get the landlord/management company to give another letter with the correct dates. CIC will give more weight to an official letter from landlord vs your friends.

Additional proofs you can include are
- filing taxes as common-law couple, since you would have become common-law July 2012, and should have filed as common-law with CRA for 2012 tax year. This will be evident if your "Option C" printout from CRA is for the 2012 tax year.
- joint credit card. If one person already has credit card, just get a second supplementary card in the other persons name. You can then show 1 credit card bill with both your names on it.
- get some cheap term life insurance, with each other listed as primary beneficiary

Thank you Rob_TO!! I think you reply to my question before too!!
We filed 2012 tax return as common-law so we should include! We will call credit card company and look for possibility to add one another as a secondary card holder. And we never thought a life insurance. We will seek a cheap one. Thanks a lot!!

 

[sanda]

I did not have joint bank accounts. We share the expenses from our own accounts. We included receipts and expense management sheet in excel which we have kept.

Try to have letters from your roommates notarized.

Thank you for your advise AnaMarie!!

We have excel sheets to manage our travel expense, maybe worth to include it! Yes, notarized roommate's letter is better, but we don't know if they can make it

 

[sanda]

Hi

In my opinion, DO NOT include that landlord letter with the Aug 2012 date. Something like that, contradicting all of your other information, just throws suspicion on you guys, even if you try to explain it.

Include an additional letter explaining the discrepancy between the original lease date of Feb 2011, the cohabitation date of July 2011 and the lease modification date of Sept 2012. The big thing will be including mail received by each of you (utilities, bank and credit card statements, tax letters, basically anything official) at the address from July 2011 onwards. That proves that even though the lease was only modified Sept 2012, you were already living together. The letters from your roommates should definitely be included as well.

Both names on the lease and the mail going back to July 2011, you guys should be fine.


Not having a joint account is not really seen as a bad thing these days and it isn't a requirement . If your individual bank statements show you paying things in turn, include them. Any matching entries on your individual statements, even if they are a few months apart, are great proof. Example, your May statement shows the rent being paid and your partner's September statement shows it; highlight both payments and put together. If you can't show anything like that, then a letter explaining why not would be a good idea.


All of the other things you are submitting are good. If you travelled together, the e-ticket emails with both names are really good.

We discussed if we include the landlord letter, and you are right, it would distract the process. We found a few car insurance documents of one another (lately added on lease agreement) have date and address from July 2011. That would be a great proof!! Thank you canuck_in_uk!!

 

[sanda]

Your relationship proof seems fine, but thew cohabitation proof might be a bit shakier.

Did the two of you have cars or driver's licenses registered to the same address?

Do you have any texts/emails for the time period that your lease doesn't cover? Anything where you discussed moving in would be good, as would any texts/emails that would be characteristic of a couple living together (for example, "I'm at the store do we need milk?" or "There's lots of traffic, I'll be late getting home") If you have anything like that, I'd add those as part of your proof of cohabitation.

Thank you for your reply Isometry!!
One of us unfortunately doesn't have a driver's license. We have some text message backup that we seem to live together like your example! We would print them out and include!!

 

[sanda]

I suggest you to add letter that you guys received from that address. the older the better. This is a proof that you guys where living together longer before you renew your appartment lease.

Yes, we found some letters of both of us sent in same address. Your advise that the older the better makes us to look for more letters!! Thank you osdamour!!