Several of my clients did not think they were in a de facto relationship because they did not live with their partner. My response was that you do not have to live with your partner to qualify as a de facto couple.
Under New Zealand legislation, a de facto relationship will exist when couples:
live together as a couple, but are not married to each other, and
are both 18 or older.
In deciding whether two people live together as a couple, the court considers all the relevant circumstances, including any of the following if they are relevant:
the length of the relationship
the nature and extent of common residence
whether or not the couple have a sexual relationship
the degree of dependence or interdependence between the two people, and any arrangements for financial support between them
the ownership, use, and acquisition of property
the degree of mutual commitment to a shared life
the care and support of children
the performance of household duties
the reputation and public aspects of the relationship
No single factor is essential for the two people to be considered as living together as a couple. If you are in a de facto relationship for a period of three years or longer and you separate, your relationship property may be shared equally.
Against that background, you may wish to enter into a contracting out agreement to protect your assets.