Married couples and those in common-law relationships are generally treated the same in estates matters, but there are a couple of key differences that can have a financial impact on a surviving spouse, says Toronto wills and estates lawyer Elinor Shinehoft.
“Many people don’t realize that there are differences between common-law and married couples when it comes to estates law. The way the legislation sees it, you made a decision not to get legally married, so you’re going to have legal rights that are different,” says Shinehoft, principal of Shinehoft Law.
“The main difference…
