De Facto Relationships – Are you in one?

Although being in a ‘relationship’, being a ‘de facto’, ‘seeing each other’ or simply ‘casual’ are commonly interchangeable phrases in common talk, the implications of being in a De Facto relationship are significant.
Unlike marriages, where there are formal ceremonies and certificates to delineate the commencement of marriage, de facto relationships lack any formal recognition – per Justice Mushinin Moby & Schulter (2010) FLC (see below). The problem therefore arises as to the sincerity of the relationship – whether it is in fact de facto or otherwise ‘casual’.