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Old 08-28-2007, 08:55 PM   #18
troutman
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fredr123 View Post
If you think the married vs. common law terminology is weird, try introducing your significant other as your AIP (Adult Interdependent Partner).
Planet of the Aips.

IIRC, the Matrimonial Property Act in Alberta requires married spouses to split all matrimonial property equally, excepting:

1) inheritances (not co-mingled)
2) injury settlements
3) gifts
4) property owned before marriage (not co-mingled)

A properly drafted Marriage Agreement (pre-nuptial) may allow you to contract out of the general 50/50 provisions.

Spousal Support in a marriage is governed by the Divorce Act. There are tables that show you roughly how much a person could expect to pay, based on the difference in incomes and length of the marriage.

http://www.justice.gc.ca/en/dept/pub...idelines_e.pdf

Until recently, common-law spouses could have expected to keep everything in their own names seperate, and split only the increase in value of these assets (through the law of constructive trusts and unjust enrichment). The law is evolving, and we can expect common-law spouses to eventually share the same rights as married spouses (AIP is a step in this direction).

Last edited by troutman; 08-28-2007 at 09:09 PM.
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