Common-law Relationships in BC

  • When: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 8:00 PM Coordinated Universal Time

  • Length: 60 minutes

  • Where: Online, via webinar

Are you and your partner "common law" or just spending a lot of time together? If you have ever asked yourself this question or have questions about what it means — legally — to be in a common-law relationship in BC, please join us for our upcoming webinar. Family lawyer Darlene Sandhu of DSG Family Law will answer common questions about common-law relationships in BC, including when you become "common law" in the eyes of the law, what that means for your legal rights and obligations, what happens if you break up, and how you can protect yourself. The webinar is ideal for people who are — or wonder if they are — in a common-law relationship or who simply want to learn more about the topic.

Featuring

Darlene Sandhu

Darlene Sandhu

Darlene Sandhu is a family lawyer and the founder and principal of DSG Family Law in Langley, BC. Darlene is committed to finding solutions that suit her clients’ needs, whether by alternative dispute resolution or, when necessary, bringing the matter to court. She is a dual-qualified family lawyer in Alberta and British Columbia with litigation experience in a broad range of challenging family law matters in the Provincial Court, Court of King’s Bench, and the Supreme Court of BC. Darlene is dedicated to building and supplementing diverse communities and is fluent in Hindi, Punjab, and conversational in Urdu.

Also on this topic

Still not sure what to do?

If you're looking for advice specific to your situation, there are options for free or low-cost help.

Options for legal help

This website explains in a general way the law that applies in British Columbia, Canada. The information is not intended as legal advice. The cases we refer to reflect real experiences, but names have been changed. See our full disclaimer.

Get the latest free info — sign up for our newsletter

Access the email newsletter archive.

Contact us

You can reach us by phone at 604-331-5400. More contact info.

Also from People's Law School

Dial-A-Law: A starting point for information on the law in British Columbia in 190+ topic areas. Available online and by phone.

Unbundled Legal Services: Learn about a new service model for lower-cost legal help. 

Beagle: A chatbot that helps with common legal problems. Look in the bottom right corner :)

Thanks to our funders

Meet our primary funders.

People's Law School logo

We are grateful to work on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, whose Peoples continue to live on and care for these lands.