What Are The Key Elements of Your Marriage or Common-Law Relationship Exit Plan in Ontario?

What Are The Key Elements of Your Marriage or Common-Law Relationship Exit Plan in Ontario?

You can’t afford to end your marriage or common-law relationship without an exit plan!

You are going to face a difficult or tough enough time with your separation or divorce. 

Why make it even worse without an exit plan?

Hi, my name is Thomas O’Malley.  I’m an experienced family lawyer in Durham Region and the GTA.

Here’s the top 5 things you must put together in your marriage or common-law relationship exit plan:

1.   Hire an Experienced Family Lawyer!

You need to know and understand your family law rights. 

You can only do that by hiring an experienced family lawyer who will make sure you know how Ontario family law principles apply to the facts of your situation.

You can start taking important steps in your separation or divorce when you know your family law rights.

2.   Collect Your Important Documents

You need to start pulling together your important financial and business documents.  For example, you need to get your last three years’ Notices of Assessment. 

You need to get your documents showing the value of your assets, such as your bank accounts and investments like RRSPs, and disclosing the amounts of your debts, including your mortgages, lines of credit, and personal loans.

3.   Decide Where You Will Be Living

Can you continue to live in the same home as your former spouse for a few months while you find your own new residence?

How are you going to finance a new mortgage or pay rent for your new residence?

You have to give these questions some serious thought over the next few weeks and months to see where you will be living on a short-term basis and on a long-term basis.

4.   Set Up a List of Reasonable Goals in Your Exit Plan

You must create list of reasonable goals in your exit plan and a plan on how to achieve them. 

For example, what should your goal be for dealing with your property and assets and the property and assets that your spouse owns and how are you going to settle this issue in your case?

What would be the best custody, access or parenting time arrangements for your children?

Have you considered who should be in your support network to help support you during this difficult time in your life?

Your family lawyer can certainly help you with your goals for your family law case.

5.   Settle Your Family Law Issues

Work closely with your family lawyer to create a separation agreement or settlement proposal to settle your family law issues.

You should only go to trial in your family law case as a matter of last resort.

You end your family law issues and disputes with your former spouse with a fair and reasonable settlement that you and your former spouse sign.

If you have any questions about your separation, divorce or family law case and you would like our help, there’s a few ways to contact our office.  

You can leave a message on my Facebook law office page, visit my website at www.canadiandivorcelegaladvice.com, or call me directly at 905-434-8837. 

We would be happy to speak to you.

Oh, by the way, did you know you can protect your family law rights and get essential information on settling your family law issues with your former spouse with the daily indispensable family law advice and tips at my FREE Facebook group? 

Click here to find out more: Durham Region Separation and Divorce Legal Support Group  

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