This week, our own Timothy Sullivan’s first piece for The Lawyers Weekly covers how lawyers can more successfully manage the sometimes tense situations that arise when common-law partners approach the Wills & Estates process.

In the past 10 years, the number of common law couples in Canada has grown at something like four times the rate of married couples. And while it’s not surprising to lawyers that common law relationships are not the same as marriage, it can still be surprising to “normal” people.

When it comes to working with a lawyer to draft a will and estate plan, common law couples can bring unique challenges to the table. Anticipating, explaining and addressing these will help both you and your clients through the process with as little misunderstanding between you and as little conflict between the client and family as possible.

Why a will matters so much for common law couples