If you are separating with children, child support is usually one of the first financial issues that needs to be understood. Ontario's child-support framework is designed to make the calculation more consistent than many other areas of family law. But that does not mean every case is solved by typing one income into an online calculator. For many families, the starting point is a table amount based on income and the number of children. The calculation can become more complica

When parents separate, a lot of attention naturally goes to the parenting schedule. Where will the child sleep? How will weekends work? What happens during school holidays? But another question is just as important: Who will make the significant decisions about the child's life? In Ontario, this is called decision-making responsibility. It can include decisions about a child's education, healthcare, culture, language, religion or spirituality, and significant extracurricular

If your parenting agreement or court order was made several years ago, it may still use the words “custody” and “access.” If you are creating or changing a parenting arrangement today, you are more likely to see different terms: decision-making responsibility, parenting time and contact. The federal Divorce Act stopped using “custody” and “access” when major amendments came into force on March 1, 2021. Ontario's Children's Law Reform Act was also amended effective March 1, 20

If you are separating and have children, you may still find yourself using words like “custody” and “access.” Those terms were used in Canadian family law for many years. But since March 1, 2021, the federal Divorce Act and Ontario's Children's Law Reform Act have used different language for new parenting arrangements: decision-making responsibility and parenting time. The change is useful because these two terms describe different parts of parenting after separation. One ans

Saving for a down payment is only one part of preparing to buy a home. Before the property becomes yours, there are also legal fees, taxes, adjustments, insurance costs and other expenses that may need to be paid before or on closing. For first-time buyers, the important question is not simply: “How much is my down payment?” It is: “How much money will I actually need available to complete the purchase?” CMHC and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada suggest budgeting appro

When one spouse wants to keep the family home after separation, agreeing on who gets the property is only part of the process. The spouse keeping the home may also need to qualify for financing in their own name, pay the other spouse the agreed amount, deal with the existing mortgage and complete a legal transfer of title. That brings two processes together: the family-law settlement and the real-estate refinance or transfer. The buyout has to work both legally and financiall

Buying a condominium means buying more than the unit itself. You are also becoming part of a condominium corporation with its own finances, governing documents, common expenses, reserve fund and obligations. For buyers of resale condominiums in Ontario, one of the most useful ways to understand that bigger picture is the status certificate. A status certificate can reveal information about the condominium corporation and the particular unit that may not be obvious from a show

Spousal support may be based on the circumstances that existed when a separation agreement was signed or a court order was made. Those circumstances can change. A payor may retire. Someone may lose their job. A recipient may remarry or begin living with a new partner. Each of these events can raise legitimate questions about whether spousal support should continue at the same amount—or continue at all. But none of them creates one automatic result under Ontario family law. Th

Spousal support may have been reasonable when an agreement or court order was made. Years later, the financial circumstances of one or both former spouses may look very different. A job may be lost. Someone may retire. Income may increase or decrease substantially. Health may affect a person's ability to work. But a change in circumstances does not automatically mean spousal support changes too. Where someone is asking a court to vary an existing spousal-support order, the fi

Signing a separation agreement can bring much-needed certainty to a difficult period. But circumstances do not always stay the same. A spouse may lose a job, retire, experience a significant change in income or enter a new relationship. When that happens, one of the first questions may be whether the spousal support terms in the agreement can change too. The answer depends on what the agreement says, how the support obligation is structured and what legal process applies to c

If you have heard someone mention the “Rule of 65” during a spousal support discussion, it is easy to assume that it has something to do with reaching age 65 or retirement. It does not. Under the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAGs), the Rule of 65 is a calculation used when considering the duration of spousal support in certain relationships. Under the without-child-support formula, support may be described as “indefinite (duration not specified)” where the relationsh

If spousal support is being discussed as part of your separation, knowing the monthly amount is only part of the financial picture. You also need to understand how long the payments may continue. There is no single rule that determines the duration of spousal support in every Ontario case. Depending on the circumstances, support may be payable for a defined period of time or may be described as “indefinite (duration not specified).” The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SS

If spousal support is part of your separation, the amount written into an agreement is not necessarily the same as the amount either spouse ultimately experiences after tax. In Canada, periodic spousal support is generally deductible to the payor and taxable to the recipient when it meets the applicable tax requirements. A lump-sum payment made to settle future support obligations is generally treated differently: it is usually not deductible to the payor and is not included

If you are separating and there is a significant difference between your income and your spouse's income, spousal support is likely one of the first financial questions you have. How much will you have to pay? How much might you receive? And how long could support continue? In Ontario, there is no single fixed percentage or simple table that determines spousal support in every case. The analysis generally involves three separate questions: entitlement, amount and duration. If

If you have used a spousal support calculator in Ontario, you may have expected it to give you one monthly amount. Instead, you may have seen three figures: low, mid and high. So which one is correct? The answer is that the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAGs) are designed to produce a range rather than one mandatory number. That range gives lawyers, spouses and courts room to consider the circumstances of the particular relationship before determining an appropriate a

Spousal support in Ontario can be based on compensatory, needs-based, or contractual grounds. Learn what each one means and how the basis of a claim can affect support after separation.

by: Amanda Willing One of the things people often tell me after they separate is, "I don't even know where to start." I get it. You're trying to process a major life change while still going to work, taking care of your children, paying the bills, and figuring out what tomorrow looks like. The idea of digging through paperwork probably isn't high on your list. But here's why I still encourage clients to do it. The first month after separation isn't about having every answer.

Most people don't expect to fall behind on their mortgage. Life happens. A job loss, an illness, rising interest rates, or unexpected expenses can quickly turn manageable monthly payments into a source of stress. If you've missed a mortgage payment—or you're worried you might—it's easy to assume you'll lose your home right away. Fortunately, that's not how the process works in Ontario. While mortgage default is a serious issue, homeowners often have time to understand their o

When someone walks into my office shortly after separating, they almost always ask the same question: "Am I already too late?" Maybe they've moved out. Maybe they've transferred money between accounts. Maybe they've agreed to something just to keep the peace. They're worried they've already made a mistake. Most of the time, my answer is reassuring. The first few weeks after a separation are emotional. You're making decisions while trying to process one of the biggest changes