Declaration of Severance of Common law

[Kiwiz]

What exactly is required?

My Canadian partner is sponsoring me (Kiwi) but we were both in previous common law relationships a couple of years ago, for about 2 years.

Do we just need to draft up a letter stating when the common law relationship ended, with our exes names, and have it signed and witnessed by a commissioner of Oaths?

Is that all that is required?

Please don't tell me we need to get in touch with our former partners to have them sign something too?

 

[Rob_TO]

The simple signed and certified letter is most likely adequate. There is some relevant info here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf

Not for severance of common-law specifically, but for being in a common-law relationship while separated from a legal spouse.
5.38.
Officers must be satisfied that a principal applicant is separated from and no longer cohabits with
a legal spouse. This evidence may be in the form of a signed formal declaration that the marriage
has ended and that the person has entered into a common-law relationship

There are many cases where an ex-partner is not able to be contacted, or uncooperative. So just the signed declarations for you and your current common-law partner are ok. Just include the date the previous relationship ended, the time you began seeing your new partner, and when this relationship became common-law.

 

[NicJohn]

My partner was in a commonlaw relationship prior to meeting me.

All we did was get a common law declaration signed for the both of us and he did a severance on for the last relationship. All the generic form (which we found on CIC) asks was the previous partners name and DOB, and when the relationship ended.

We got both notorized.

We just did the severance as matter of fact. I think that signing a new one, would assume that the old relationship is over, but we did to cover all bases