Succession rights of common law partners and adult children

I just love it when I come across clear, easy-to-use legal materials! I've recently found just such a resource and I've added it to this page as a permanent link. It's a chart prepared by http://www.mcauleyfinancial.com/ that shows whether common law spouses have the same inheritance rights as married spouses, and if so, how long they have to live together to gain that status. It goes province by province so you can easily find what you're looking for. It also indicates on a second chart whether common law spouses and adult (non-handicapped) children can claim against an estate for more support. Click here to see the chart.

Something to Consider if You Are Cohabiting

The article attached talks about the position one common law spouse can be left in when the other passes away. In particular, it talks about older individuals who are in second relationships. The situation depends, of course, on the laws in place in each location, but this article does a good job of illustrating what can happen. In Alberta, common law relationships are covered by the Adult Interdependent Relationships Act, and so include both same-sex and opposite-sex relationships. Click the link below to read this article from Boomer-Living:

Something to Consider if You Are Cohabiting