I was not married. How do I legally separate in BC?
Under BC's Family Law Act (opens in a new tab), unmarried couples who live together in a marriage-like relationship are considered common-law after two years. A "marriage-like relationship" is when two people live together as if they were married, having a committed relationship like a marriage.
When an unmarried couple separates, each spouse has the same legal rights and responsibilities as married couples, including property division and support. See "What are the key legal issues for separation and divorce?"
You do not need to file papers to be ‘separated.’ Simply living apart with the intention to end the relationship is enough. However, there may still be legal issues related to children, support and property division. See Family Law in BC for more information on Going Through Separation (opens in a new tab).
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- Family Law in BC (opens in a new tab)
BC’s most comprehensive family law website covers separation, divorce, adoption, protection and more.
- HowToSeparate.ca (opens in a new tab)
Provides help for separating couples on: Working it out, Separating the Finances and Going to Court.
- BC Family Justice Services (opens in a new tab)
The BC government provides a range of information and services to support people with separation, divorce, and other family law issues.
- FamiliesChange.ca (opens in a new tab)
Age-appropriate information for parents, teens and kids on how to deal with family changes due to separation.
- Legal Aid BC (opens in a new tab)
Provides a range of services to support British Columbians get legal advice on family law and other issues.
- Rise Women’s Legal Centre (opens in a new tab)
Provides legal services to women, especially regarding family law and intimate partner violence.
- BC Provincial Court (opens in a new tab)
This court applies BC’s Family Law Act and the Divorce Act to deal with a range of family law issues related to parenting arrangements, support, child protection, etc.
- Supreme Court BC (opens in a new tab)
This JES website provides a series of guidebooks to help people understand and move through family law processes in BC Supreme Court.