CTV Your Morning: Grey Marriages - Featuring Laura Paris, Shulman & Partners

Laura Paris, Associate Lawyer at Shulman & Partners LLP, joined CTV's Your Morning to discuss the rise of “grey marriages” and why later-in-life relationships often come with different legal and financial pressures. The segment focused on baby boomers who find love after divorce, separation, or widowhood, and the practical realities of protecting what they have built while planning for the future. Rather than “building from scratch,” many couples are thinking about retirement stability, adult children, and how to reduce conflict if circumstances change. The conversation also highlighted that living arrangements may look different later in life, and that clear planning can help couples preserve both their relationship and their long-term security.

“The way that I look at it and the way that I pitch it to anybody who walks into our offices asking for these types of agreements is to look at it like an insurance policy.”
— Laura Paris, Associate Lawyer, Shulman & Partners LLP

In this interview, Laura unpacked why “grey marriages” have become a more common topic in family law. She described the term as referring to baby boomers who are marrying or entering serious, long-term relationships later in life, often after a major life change such as divorce or the loss of a spouse. According to Laura, what makes these relationships distinct is the set of questions that tend to follow. When people partner earlier in adulthood, they may be focused on building a life together from the ground up. Later-in-life relationships can be different, because many individuals already have established assets, retirement planning, and family responsibilities that shaped their finances long before the new relationship began.

She explained that planning often starts with fundamentals like living arrangements. Not every couple intends to live under one roof full-time. Some couples may keep separate residences and spend weekends, summers, or specific seasons together. Those choices can affect how a relationship is understood legally and, in turn, what issues might arise if the relationship ends. The segment also pointed to practical considerations that come up more frequently in later-life relationships, including how expenses will be shared, what happens with inheritance planning, and how to protect money intended for children.

Another key point was that Canadian “prenups” are generally referred to as marriage contracts, and that the right type of agreement depends on the relationship. Laura noted that if the couple plans to marry, the agreement is a marriage contract. If the couple plans to live in a relationship of permanence without marriage, the agreement is typically a cohabitation agreement, which aligns with a common-law relationship.

She also addressed the emotional hesitation many people feel about raising practical topics during the “love stage,” such as inheritance, future risks, or planning for a potential separation. Her framing was that these agreements can be approached like an insurance policy: not something created because a couple expects the relationship to fail, but something that provides clarity and peace of mind if circumstances change. Overall, the segment emphasized that early planning can reduce uncertainty and help couples protect both their relationship and the life they have worked to build.

Watch the full CTV Your Morning segment here.

This media appearance is part of Shulman & Partners LLP’s ongoing contributions to Canadian family law discussions. Explore more of our media features in our In the Media archive.