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51 articles
June 1, 2019
Weddings produce a lot of objects — dress, rings, album, guestbook, gifts, decor. After a divorce these can carry an unexpected emotional charge. There is no single right answer for what to do with them.
June 1, 2019
Mediation is a structured negotiation process led by a neutral third party — the mediator — whose job is to help both spouses reach a workable agreement.
June 1, 2019
Discernment counselling is a short-term process — typically one to five sessions — designed for couples where one spouse is leaning towards divorce and the other is hoping to save the marriage.
June 1, 2019
Arbitration is a private, binding dispute-resolution process. The parties choose an arbitrator (often a senior family-law lawyer or retired judge), present their case, and accept the arbitrator's decision as binding.
June 1, 2019
An annulment is a legal declaration that a marriage was never valid in the first place — distinct from a divorce, which ends a valid marriage. In Canada, annulments are granted only in narrow circumstances: lack of capacity, fraud, duress,
June 1, 2019
Some separations come as a complete surprise to one spouse. The mismatch in information — financial, emotional, legal — at the start of the conversation is a major source of conflict in the months that follow.
June 1, 2019
If you need to renegotiate your mortgage during or after separation, a broker can save you significant time and money — but only if you bring them the right information. Four things to have ready:
June 1, 2019
Travel with children after a separation introduces a few extra steps. Travel-consent letters, custody-order copies, and clear communication with your co-parent prevent most border issues before they happen.
June 1, 2019
Going through a divorce is, among other things, a sustained productivity problem. There is paperwork, scheduling, financial reconstruction, parenting logistics, and emotional admin all happening at once.
June 1, 2019
Canadian family law professionals see the same patterns repeatedly. The five most commonly cited reasons clients give for ending a marriage:
June 1, 2019
The lawyer is essential, but they aren't the whole team. Three other roles round out the core group most clients benefit from.
June 1, 2019
For people in the middle of a separation, Valentine's Day can land hard. A few tips for getting through it.
June 1, 2019
Old holiday traditions can be painful in the first year after a separation. Building new ones is a way to take some of the power out of the old patterns.
June 1, 2019
Life is busy and self-care often slips first when things get hard. Three practices that hold up across the early months of separation.
June 1, 2019
Lenders don't just want to know that you're separating — they want to see the agreement. A signed, witnessed separation agreement is what allows a lender to treat support obligations the right way, exclude joint debts you no longer carry, a
June 1, 2019
If you're going to sell the matrimonial home, a pre-listing inspection is one of the highest-leverage things you can do. It identifies issues you can address before listing, prevents surprises during the buyer's inspection, and supports a s
June 1, 2019
A short guide to the apps and tools that make co-parenting after a separation less painful: shared calendars, expense-tracking tools, communication apps designed specifically for separated parents, and the parts of regular tools (like Googl
June 1, 2019
DivorceNet members occasionally offer discounts, free consultations, or seasonal promotions to readers of the site. Specific offers come and go — get in touch through the contact page if you'd like to know what is currently available.
June 1, 2019
Legally and practically, separation and divorce are not the same thing. Some rights and obligations crystallise on the date of separation; others on the date of divorce. Tax filings, property claims, and benefit eligibility can all turn on
June 1, 2019
The matrimonial home is usually the largest asset in any divorce, and the most emotionally charged. This article covers the three main paths — sell, buy out, or hold jointly — and the tax, mortgage, and family-law factors that should drive
June 1, 2019
When debt overwhelms a separation, it isn't just a financial problem — it changes the legal options available too. In this episode, we talk to a Licensed Insolvency Trustee about consumer proposals, bankruptcy, and how each interacts with a
June 1, 2019
On this episode, Daren Givoque and guest host Megan Cumming talk with Life Coach Vickie Townson about making life changes and moving forward after separation or divorce.
June 1, 2019
Most separating couples talk to their lawyer first. A surprising number would have benefited from talking to a mortgage specialist before signing the separation agreement.
June 1, 2019
Telling your children about a separation is the conversation most parents lose sleep over. A few principles help.
June 1, 2019
Holiday co-parenting tests every separation agreement. This article covers planning early, swapping years, building in flexibility for the kids' wishes, handling extended-family expectations, and the small communications habits that keep th
June 1, 2019
There is no painless way to start the divorce conversation, but there are better and worse ways. This guide walks through how to choose the moment, what to say first, what to avoid saying, and how to leave room for the conversation to conti
June 1, 2019
After the legal mechanics of divorce are done, three mistakes turn up over and over again.
June 1, 2019
Common-law couples in Ontario do not automatically share property in the way married couples do. There is no equalization payment. Each person leaves with what's in their name — unless they can argue a claim for unjust enrichment, construct
June 1, 2019
In Ontario, division of property in a divorce is governed by the Family Law Act. The basic rule: married spouses share the increase in the value of property accumulated during the marriage, calculated through what's called an equalization p
June 1, 2019
Separation is one of the most stressful events a person can go through. These five practices, drawn from years of supporting clients, help build the resilience you'll lean on.
June 1, 2019
Family law is the body of law that governs the legal end of intimate relationships — separation, divorce, common-law breakups — and the issues that follow them. In Ontario, that means custody and access, decision-making for children, child
June 1, 2019
When you separate, your debt-to-income ratio is recalculated from scratch. Joint debts that were comfortable on two incomes can suddenly look very different on one. This article walks through what lenders look at, what the standard ratios a
June 1, 2019
Jim Jeffcott has been one of Eastern Ontario's strongest voices for the collaborative-law process. In this conversation he explains what collaborative law is — and isn't — and why a settlement built outside the courtroom usually holds up be
June 1, 2019
Most people update their will when they marry. Far fewer update it when they separate. The result is a lot of estates where an ex-spouse is still the named executor, beneficiary, or attorney for property.
June 1, 2019
A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) is a financial professional with specialist training in the financial issues of divorce. In this Clean Break episode, we talk to one about what they bring that a regular financial advisor doesn't
June 1, 2019
On this episode of Clean Break, we open up the legal side of separation: what a family lawyer actually does, when you do and don't need litigation, and how the collaborative process compares to mediation.
June 1, 2019
Insurance is a part of the divorce conversation that is easy to overlook and expensive to get wrong. Beneficiary designations, life policies tied to support obligations, health benefits suddenly cut off — every one of these can blow a settl
June 1, 2019
Most people associate home inspectors with buying or selling a house. In a divorce context, an inspector plays a different role: establishing the real condition (and therefore real value) of the matrimonial home for negotiation purposes.
June 1, 2019
When the world has shrunk to court dates, custody schedules, and worry, it can feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. This Clean Break episode is about finding it.
June 1, 2019
This episode of Clean Break tackles one of the most common pain points in any separation: what happens to the mortgage on the matrimonial home?
June 1, 2019
On this episode of the Clean Break podcast, we sit down with one of our accounting members to walk through the financial side of a separation: tax filings, support deductibility, RRSPs and TFSAs, and the small decisions that have outsized c
June 1, 2019
This page is part of the DivorceNet archive. The full content has been preserved in spirit but the original text is unavailable. If you were looking for a specific resource and arrived here, please get in touch via the contact page and we'l
June 1, 2019
Divorce can cost a little or a lot, and a few habits can pull your number down considerably.
June 1, 2019
Holidays can be the hardest part of a separation year. Five practical tips.
June 1, 2019
Re-entering the dating world after divorce can be exciting and disorienting. Five tips that come up often in our coaching conversations.
June 1, 2019
Choosing the right family lawyer makes an enormous difference to how your divorce unfolds. Here is a five-step process used by many DivorceNet members' clients.
June 1, 2019
Most divorce advice covers the legal and financial mechanics. Here are four things you'll only really learn by going through it.
June 1, 2019
Many separating parents wrestle with whether to stay together "for the children." The intention is good, but the evidence — and the experience of family law professionals — points to a more nuanced answer.
June 1, 2019
Recognising that a marriage is in trouble is the first, hardest step. Here are three signs many separating couples notice in hindsight.
January 1, 2019
The Divorce Process
January 1, 2019
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