Separation & Divorce in Ontario

A clear plan, less chaos, and decisions you can live with.

Separation is a moment, divorce is a legal step – both feel big. We turn uncertainty into a practical roadmap so you know what happens next, what it costs, and how to protect your kids and your finances.

What you get with us

• Clarity on day one: your legal status, key dates that affect property and support, and immediate protections if needed.

• A resolution-first strategy: negotiation or mediation when it serves you; firm litigation when safety or fairness requires it.

• Agreements that stand up: we draft and finalize Separation Agreements that are precise, enforceable, and future-proof.

• Streamlined divorce filings: joint or simple divorce (and name change if desired) with careful attention to timelines and paperwork.

Proven, step-by-step process

1. Strategy consult → risks, goals, timeline, and budget

2. Financial disclosure → painless checklist and secure document handling

3. Negotiation/mediation → offer exchange, creative options, draft agreement

4. Finalization → independent legal advice, signatures, and (if applicable) divorce filing

Result: less conflict, fewer surprises, and an outcome that lets you move forward.

Decision-Making Responsibility & Parenting Time

Protect your child’s well-being and your relationship without constant conflict.

Ontario now uses decision-making responsibility (major decisions like health, education, culture) and parenting time (when your child is with each parent). Courts look at the best interests of the child. We keep that focus while securing practical, detailed schedules that work in real life.

How we help you get there

• Child-centred parenting plans: school-year routines, holidays, PD days, travel, virtual contact, exchange logistics.
• Clear decision frameworks: joint/sole decision-making, tie-breaker clauses, information-sharing, and emergencies.
• Solutions for complex realities: relocation, special-needs supports, extracurriculars, new partners, and passports.
• Measured urgency when required: temporary and non-removal orders where safety or stability is at risk.

Tools that lower conflict

• Voice of the Child reports, parenting assessments, supervised time or parenting coordination when helpful.
• Co-parenting app protocols and built-in dispute-resolution steps so small issues don’t become big ones.

Result: a predictable routine for your child and fewer flashpoints for you.

Child Support

Fair, guideline-based support – set up right and kept current.

Children are entitled to support. Ontario’s Child Support Guidelines set table amounts based on the payor’s income and parenting time. Section 7 expenses (e.g., child care, medical/dental not covered by benefits, extracurriculars, tutoring, post-secondary) are typically shared in proportion to incomes.

What we do differently

• Get the numbers right: confirm true income (employment, self-employment, commissions, bonuses, RSUs/options, rental, dividends – and when to impute).
• Fit for your parenting schedule: primary, shared (40%+ time), or split arrangements calculated correctly.
• Make extras predictable: who pays what, when receipts are exchanged, and how annual “true-ups” work.
• Enforce without drama: register with and work through the Family Responsibility Office (FRO); adjust quickly when circumstances change.

When to revisit support

• Income changes, parenting-time shifts, new health/child-care needs, or post-secondary transitions.

Result: reliable support for your child and fewer arguments about money.

Spousal Support

A fair approach grounded in law, not guesswork.

Spousal support isn’t automatic; it turns on entitlement first, then amount and duration guided by the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG). We model realistic ranges and negotiate terms that respect both dignity and the path to independence.

Our framework

• Entitlement analysis: need, compensatory claims, and any contractual terms.
• SSAG modelling: with-child vs. without-child formulas, with clear low/mid/high ranges.
• Tax-smart design: periodic versus lump-sum, review/termination triggers (e.g., income shifts, re-partnering).
• Focused advocacy: we resolve at the table where possible; we litigate when fairness demands it.

Result: a principled outcome that avoids over- or under-payment, and a plan to adapt as life changes.

Property Division & the Matrimonial Home

Protect what you’ve built and move forward with certainty.

Married spouses share the growth of their net family property (NFP) from the date of marriage to separation. The matrimonial home receives special treatment: both spouses have an equal right to possess it until matters are resolved, regardless of title. (Unmarried partners face different rules – we’ll explain what applies.)

How we safeguard your financial picture

• Complete asset & debt mapping: real estate, mortgages/LOCs, vehicles, pensions (actuarial valuations), businesses and professional corps, stock plans/RSUs/options, crypto, and tax liabilities.
• Exclusions & tracing done right: gifts/inheritances kept separate, pre-marriage property, personal injury awards and how to prove them.
• Practical home solutions: exclusive possession, buy-out or sale, coordinated appraisals and refinancing to avoid bottlenecks.
• Defend against “missing money”: dissipation, shareholder loans, retained earnings with a strategy to address them.

Equalization made simple

1. Calculate each spouse’s NFP (with proper exclusions/deductions).
2. The spouse with the higher NFP pays half the difference as an equalization payment.

Result: transparent numbers, fewer tax surprises, and a clean financial break.

Domestic Contracts (Agreements)

Put expectations in writing to prevent tomorrow’s disputes today.

Strong contracts reduce risk and cost, whether you’re moving in, getting married, or separating.

We draft and review

• Cohabitation Agreements and Marriage Contracts (prenups/postnups)
• Separation Agreements that resolve parenting, support, and property

Why our agreements hold up

• Full and frank disclosure (with a checklist so nothing’s missed)
• Independent legal advice for each party
• Plain-language, precise clauses with realistic schedules and review triggers
• Compliant with Ontario law and mindful of public-policy limits

Result: fewer grey areas, fewer emergencies, more peace of mind.

Working With Us: What Every Client Can Expect

Straight talk, not jargon. You’ll leave your first meeting with a written plan, timeline, and document checklist.

Cost control. Clear fees, unbundled options when appropriate, and decisions made with you, not for you.

Resolution mindset. We aim to solve problems early and well; we litigate when rights or safety require it.

Support that lasts. We help with FRO enforcement and variations when life changes.