Common Law Marriage

Definition

  • A relationship recognized by the Government of Canada as marriage (the legal definition of which falls under provincial jurisdiction) even when no marriage ceremony has taken place.

Synonyms
coupling, informal marriage, engagement

Acronyms
CLM

Alternate Spellings
Common law marriage, Common law, Informal Marriage, Common-Law

Related Terms and Acronyms

  • Adverse Possession Definition,
    • A means of getting title to land by using it without the objection of the title holder.
  • Common Law (CL) Acronym, Very Important,
    • Traditional, unwritten law based on English custom.
    Laws developed by judges through court decisions and precedent.
  • Community Property (CP) Acronym, Important,
    • Possessions, real estate and profits that a husband and wife receive during the marriage, excluding gifts and inheritances. Upon divorce, community property is distributed equally.
  • Division of Property Definition,
    • The dividing of marital assets during a divorce.
  • Joint Tenancy Definition,
    • When two people (typically spouses) both own an undivided interest in a property. If one joint tenant passes away, the other receives the title to the entire property.
  • Jointly-owned Property Definition,
    • A property held in the name of more than one person.
  • Marital Deduction Definition,
    • For estate tax and gift tax purposes, a deduction that allows you to transfer assets to your spouse tax-free.
  • Reconciliation Definition,
    • Checking all bank account papers to make sure that the bank's records and your records agree.
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