Family Law · Ontario
A cohabitation agreement lawyer can clarify property, household contributions, debts and support for unmarried partners.
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A cohabitation agreement is for partners who live together, or plan to, without being married. It can clarify ownership, contributions and support expectations, including where one partner owns the home or pays more of the expenses.
Section 53 of the Family Law Act permits these agreements, which must be written, signed and witnessed. Common-law partners do not automatically share the married-spouse equalization regime. If the partners later marry each other, the agreement is deemed a marriage contract.
Counsel explains ownership and possible support or property claims, reviews disclosure and drafts terms distinguishing expenses from ownership interests. Separate advice helps each partner understand the effect of the agreement.
Living together does not automatically give each partner half of all property. Ownership, any agreement and potential equitable claims need their own analysis. Support eligibility is a separate question and can use a different legal definition of spouse from the rules governing property.
A cohabitation agreement can explain how partners intend to manage assets, debts and support obligations within the law. Aftermath Law can review the current ownership documents and financial circumstances so the agreement addresses the couple’s situation rather than assumes that marriage-style equalization already applies.
Partners may contribute differently to a down payment, mortgage, renovations and ordinary living expenses. An agreement can clarify which payments are shared expenses and which are intended to affect an entitlement between the partners. Records of the amounts and their purpose help make those terms usable later.
Terms between partners do not automatically change registered title or a lender’s rights. Bring the title, mortgage and debt records to counsel before deciding how contributions will be treated. Where ownership or borrowing arrangements must change, additional legal and lender requirements may need to be addressed separately.
Proper disclosure, understanding and separate legal advice support informed decisions. The agreement must meet the statutory written, signed and witnessed requirements; an informal conversation about who owns what is not an adequate substitute for a carefully prepared contract.
Under the Family Law Act, a cohabitation agreement becomes a marriage contract if the partners marry each other. That makes future marriage worth discussing when the terms are drafted. Review provisions can also address major purchases or other changes, while recognizing the legal limits on terms affecting children and support.
Your representation at Aftermath Law
Partners may contribute to a home in different ways without having discussed what those contributions mean if they separate. Your cohabitation agreement lawyer can help identify those expectations and put proposed terms into clear language. Aftermath Law can discuss ownership, expenses, debts and support without assuming that living together creates the same rights as marriage.
Dildeep Sahi can review how the draft deals with a down payment, mortgage contributions or a future move. The advice should also distinguish the partners’ agreement from obligations to a lender or another third party, and consider whether marriage is part of the couple’s plans.
Discuss your matter with Dildeep Sahi in a free consultation.
No. Ontario’s married-spouse property equalization regime does not automatically apply. Title, agreements and other potential legal claims require separate assessment.
The Family Law Act deems a cohabitation agreement between the parties to be a marriage contract when they marry each other. Review it for the legal and practical consequences.
Yes. Clear terms can explain how contributions are treated between the partners. They do not automatically change a lender’s rights or registered title.
Your next step
Discuss ownership, household contributions and future plans so you can identify what you would like an agreement to address.
The free one-hour initial consultation with Dildeep Sahi focuses on your situation, options and potential representation. Consultations are available in English, Punjabi and Hindi. Any document review or further work should be arranged separately with the firm.
Office visits are by appointment only. Scheduled consultations are separate from urgent telephone assistance; an immediate answer or response is not guaranteed. This form is not an emergency service.
Keep your enquiry brief and omit confidential documents or a detailed history. Submitting the form does not create a lawyer-client relationship; the firm must complete an initial review and conflict check before agreeing to act.
Free initial consultation. Basic details only; not for emergencies.
Enter your name and enquiry type, and provide an email address or phone number. Your message is optional.
