LOVE BY THE NUMBERS

2

Number of years a couple has to live together to be considered common-law.

14,900

Number of people in Saskatoon living common-law as of 2011.

83,585

Number of people in Saskatoon who were married as of 2011.

15

Percentage of all couples in Saskatoon who are commonlaw as of 2011. Up from 13 per cent in 2006.

13.9

Percentage increase in the number of common-law couples Canada-wide since 2006.

16.7

Percentage of all census families in Canada who were considered common-law in 2011.

Other Provinces:

Quebec

Under existing Quebec law, partners in a de facto relationship have no rights, duties and responsibilities to each other — no matter how many years they’ve lived together.

Ontario

A couple will be considered common-law if they have lived together for three years, or have a child together. While common-law couples are entitled to spousal support in most circumstances, they are not covered by division of property laws.

Manitoba

There are three ways to become common-law: Living in a conjugal relationship for three years; living together for one year and having a child together; or registering the commonlaw relationship at the Vital Statistics Registry. The same property and spousal support laws apply to both commonlaw and married couples.

B.C.

In March of last year, B.C. joined Saskatchewan in implementing the two-year rule. Couples who have been living together for two years share the same legal rights as married couples, including a 50-50 split of shared debts and assets. Before the rule change, people who had been living together for decades were not entitled to share in assets accrued during the relationship.