Am I separated?

Last updated on March 6, 2024

When two people who have been living together in a marriage, or a marriage-like relationship (sometimes called a common-law relationship), decide not to live together any more, they are separated.

There is no such thing as a "legal" separation. If you are living apart, you are separated.

It is possible to be separated and still living in the same home where a clear intention of a permanent separation has been communicated and acted upon.

For more information, see Going through separation on Legal Aid BC's Family Law in BC website.

Check out these resources from Legal Aid BC:

Visit a Justice Access Centre:

Talk with a family justice counsellor at a Family Justice Centre.

Visit Clicklaw and Family Law in BC (legalaid.bc.ca) for legal information
Contact the Lawyer Referral Service to consult a lawyer for up to 30 minutes for free
See MyLawBC for solutions to your legal problems
Take a Parenting After Separation course

Visit the Government of Canada's child support table look-up to find the base amount of child support.
Enroll your maintenance order or agreement with the BC Family Maintenance Agency.
See if the Child Support Recalculation Service could help you annually recalculate child support without having to go to court.

British Columbia has a central authority that assists left-behind parents whose children have been abducted across international borders.

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Am I separated?

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