Common-Law Partner — inheritance rights that vary sharply by province

This is legal information only. For advice on your own circumstances, speak to a lawyer.

A partner who is not legally married, whose inheritance rights vary sharply by province.

In Islamic law

Islamic law recognises inheritance between spouses in a valid marriage. A religious marriage not registered civilly can leave a widow with no provincial entitlement at all — a serious and common gap.

In Canadian law

Several provinces treat a qualifying common-law partner as a spouse on intestacy; Ontario does not, so an unmarried partner inherits nothing without a will. They may still bring a dependant support claim.

Across the madhahib

We have not yet researched whether the four Sunni schools differ on this term, so we are not going to tell you either way. Where a specific case turns on it, ask a qualified scholar rather than relying on a general summary.

Canadian legal detail

Treadstone Law, an Ontario firm with a wills and estates practice, covers the Canadian side of this in more depth:

Note

This is legal information only. For advice on your own circumstances, speak to a lawyer.

Citations & sources

Every factual claim on this page traces to a source below. Details change — check the original source before relying on any figure, fee or legal position. Anything under “further reading” is related material, not a source for what is stated here.