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Cohabitation Agreements Nova Scotia

Designed by lawyers. Made by you.

Jointly helps you collaboratively create a relationship agreement for managing your property and finances during your relationship and in case it ends.

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How it works

In a few straightforward steps, we help you make an agreement which charts the path for your partnership.

1.

Learn about the Law

Review our tutorial to get up to speed on the law in your province, and learn about what your options are in your prenup, postnup, or cohabitation agreement.

2.

Work together

Guided prompts make conversations easier, and help you decide what to put in your agreement.

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3.

Build your agreement

Fill out a straightforward questionnaire to create an agreement that fits your relationship. Jointly was designed by lawyers, so you can have confidence in the agreement you build together.

4.

Finalize and sign

Fully valid in your province. No time off work. No adversarial back and forth. No surprises.

About Us

Our team is led by Aimee and Amanda, two experienced lawyers who are deeply committed to access to justice, community building, and helping people solve everyday legal problems. Having seen firsthand the challenges ordinary people face in accessing reliable legal services, they founded Jointly to create more affordable, accessible solutions for everyone.

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Why You Need A Cohabitation Agreement

A cohabitation agreement is the only way to make sure your property and finances are protected, and divided in a way that fits your personal circumstances if your relationship ends.

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$379

Relationship Agreements

Create a fair, lawyer-approved prenup together online. Jointly helps you build a clear, enforceable agreement before marriage, so you both know where you stand.

Nova Scotia Cohabitation Agreements

Moving in together? Protect your finances and property with a cohabitation agreement. Jointly makes it easy to create one collaboratively, affordably, and online.

Nova Scotia Postnuptial
Agreements

Already married? Set clear terms for property and finances. Jointly helps couples create personalized postnuptial agreements that support long-term trust and peace of mind.

Is Jointly right for you?

Find out in one minute by taking our quiz ↴

Screening form

Jointly is only suitable where both partners are adults. Send us a note if you have any questions!

If one or both of you are not completely honest about your assets or debts, a judge could later decide that the agreement was unfair and decide not to enforce it if the relationship ends. Jointly is not a good fit for you unless you're prepared to share details about your assets and debts with your partner.  Send us a note if you have any questions!

Jointly is not able to handle the separation of a jointly operated business. Send us a note if you have questions!

Jointly does not support planning for property on reserves. Send us a note to let us know what you'd like to see incorporated into our future plans!

At present, Jointly is not able to support committed polyamorous relationships. Send us a note to let us know what you'd like to see incorporated into our future plans!

Relationship agreements which include parenting arrangements are not enforceable unless you are already separated or thinking about separating. Because of this, Jointly does not have the option to include parenting arrangements that would apply if your relationship ends . Send us a note if you have any questions!

You should not sign a relationship agreement if someone is forcing you to do so or if there is abuse in your relationship. Please talk to a lawyer, who can help you navigate this situation.

Jointly may be a good fit for your relationship!

Frequently asked questions

A cohabitation agreement is a legal contract between two people who live together in a romantic relationship, but are not married. It outlines financial commitments, property ownership, and responsibilities during the relationship and in the event of a breakup – essentially the same subjects that would be included in a prenup or marriage agreement, just without the wedding date.

Cohabitation agreements can prevent expensive and stressful legal disputes in the event of a breakup by clearly defining expectations and obligations at the beginning of the relationship.  The key benefits of a cohabitation agreement are: protecting the rights of both partners; clarifying financial contributions and responsibilities during the relationship; ensuring fair treatment of both partners if the relationship ends; and reducing the risk of costly legal disputes after separation.

Family law varies in how it treats common law relationships from province to province. In Nova Scotia, common-law spouses do not have statutory rights to division of property if the relationship ends, no matter how long the relationship lasted or how much that partner contributed. Because of this, it is especially important to have a cohabitation agreement in place in Nova Scotia to ensure that any financial or other contributions to shared assets are recognized in the event of a breakup.

A cohabitation agreement can be customized to meet a couple’s unique needs. Common inclusions are:

  • Asset and debt division – How property and liabilities will be handled in case of separation.
  • Spousal support – Whether one spouse will receive financial support if the relationship ends – including the amount and duration of support payments.
  • Inheritance rights – Protecting future inheritances from being treated as family property – no matter how they are used.
  • Ownership of businesses – Determining how business interests will be treated in case of separation.
  • Financial responsibilities during marriage – Clarifying who will cover household expenses, investments, and debt repayment.
  • Estate planning considerations – Deciding what your obligations are to each other when it comes to making your will.

Yes, cohabitation agreements are legally binding in Nova Scotia.  It’s possible for a cohabitation agreement to be overturned in Nova Scotia under certain circumstances.  Some things that make your agreement vulnerable are (1) when one person was pressured into signing it; (2) if either person wasn’t honest about their assets when they made the agreement; and (3) if your agreement is significantly unfair given the circumstances of your relationship.  We have built our agreements to address these concerns if you follow the instructions in the course.

No, a cohabitation agreement does not legally have to be written by a lawyer. However, using a platform like Jointly, which was built by lawyers, or working with a lawyer in your province is highly recommended to ensure the agreement complies with provincial laws, is clearly worded, and will hold up in court. Poorly drafted agreements (like many you can find online for free) are more likely to be challenged or set aside – meaning they won’t protect you if your relationship ends.

The average cost of a cohabitation agreement in Nova Scotia ranges from $1,500 to $5,000. This includes legal fees, financial disclosures, and possible negotiations between both parties.

Using an online service like Jointly is a more affordable option, offering a fixed price of $379 for a legally valid agreement. We have also designed Jointly to be a collaborative process where you and your partner can learn and make your decisions together, instead of getting separate lawyers to negotiate for you, which can feel adversarial.

Your cohabitation agreement can last for the duration of your relationship, or be changed from time to time.  We recommend reviewing your agreement and making sure it still fits your relationship whenever you have a significant life change, or every 5 years.  We’ve built a review option into our agreements to make this process quick and easy.

Learn More About Cohabitation Agreements

The best time to make a relationship agreement is when you move in together.

The next best time is now.