Australian English: "We're de factos!"

Aussie speak...🦘

"- Is he your husband?

- Nah, he's my de facto. We're de factos."

🤔 Do you know what's being said here?

"De facto" (Latin for "in reality") in legalese is "something that's not legally sanctioned but acts as if it is".

But in Australia (and New Zealand), a "de facto" is a person who is in a "de facto relationship", i.e. a domestic arrangement like a marriage just without the certificate. Rings are optional 💍😊

📺 You hear it in the first ep of classic Australian sitcom Kath and Kim, when Sharon Strzelecki wonders out loud if Kath and Kel are "de factos".

Many Aussies think that married and de facto couples have 'exactly the same rights' – not exactly true.

For decades Aussie de factos, straight or gay, have had many of the same rights and recognitions as married people, including if they split up.

☝ This, along with no inheritance tax, was a big reason why it took until 2017 (and after a plebiscite 🗳) for Australia to usher in same-sex marriage.

The biggest difference between a married and de facto relationship though is having to prove it. Married couples are immediately recognised internationally with just a certificate or a tick of a box; de facto couples often have to provide many forms of proof to testify the nature of their relationship.

✍ Most Australian states and territories have relationship registries, but registration is not required to be in a de facto relationship or to have it recognised as one.

⏳ There is no set time limit for a relationship to be considered de facto. However, the 1975 Australian Family Law Act only applies to de facto relationships of over 2 years (unless you have a child together, have registered your relationship or made significant contributions to the relationship); social security in Australia (Centrelink) deems you de facto from the moment you start living together; but for Australian migration law it's after 12 months of cohabiting (unless you have a child together).

✖️ None of these different time limits apply to married couples.

🗣️ One thing Australians cannot agree on is how to pronounce the "de" in "de facto".

You can hear:

🔹 di ˈfæktoʊ ("dee 'faktoh")

🔹 də ˈfæktoʊ ("duh 'faktoh")

🔹 deɪ ˈfæktoʊ ("day 'faktoh")...so take your pick.

And after all this, we unleashed our version of Married at First Sight onto the world 😬. The sanctity of marriage?

If this and many other aspects of Australian life are blocking you from connecting with your Australian customers, talk to me and let's find a solution together!