In Quebec, common-law spouses do not have the same rights as married spouses.
The Civil Code of Quebec does not recognize common law unions. Legally, the civil status of each common-law partner is ”single”.
No matter how long they have been living together and even if they have children together, in Quebec, common-law spouses are never automatically considered married.
As a result, common-law spouses do not benefit from the same rights and protections granted to married couples, namely in the case of separation or death. For example, in the event of death, common-law spouses do not inherit from each other unless they are named as an heir in a will.
When it comes to their common children however, the law does not distinguish between children born to married parents and children born to common-law parents. In both cases, their children have the same rights.