Where are you
starting from?
Choose the situation closest to yours. Find the information, practical tools and next conversation that can help.
I’m considering separation
Understand the decisions before you act.
Find your starting point 02We have separated
Get organized for the weeks ahead.
Find your starting point 03We disagree about the children
Put their needs at the centre of a plan.
Find your starting point 04I need to understand support
Connect the numbers with the right information.
Find your starting pointImmediate danger needs immediate help. Call 911 in Canada. If you are concerned about abuse, threats or coercive control, seek confidential local support and legal advice before arranging a joint discussion.
I’m considering separation
You do not need to solve every issue at once. Begin by understanding what separation would change, what needs attention now and which decisions need individual advice.
Understand the landscape
Separate the decision to end a relationship from the questions about housing, money, children and legal status.
Read the separation guide →Prepare a private fact sheet
List your immediate concerns, important dates, regular household costs and documents you can lawfully access. Keep unknowns separate from confirmed facts.
Use the preparation checklist →Choose your next conversation
A lawyer can explain your rights. A mediator can help explore an agreement where the process is appropriate. You may need both.
Compare resolution options →
We have separated
The first weeks often involve temporary arrangements. Make those arrangements clear enough to manage daily life while you gather the information needed for longer-term decisions.
Identify what needs attention now
Check housing, essential bills, arrangements for the children and any court dates or response deadlines. Keep existing orders and agreements together.
Plan the immediate arrangements →Organize the financial information
Collect income records and expense details before treating a support estimate as a settled amount.
Gather the support documents →Prepare a focused discussion
Write down what is agreed, what remains disputed and what information would help. Guided prompts can help you organize your own notes.
Open the prompt library →
We disagree about the children
Start with the child’s actual week. A useful proposal explains how care, school, transitions and important decisions will work, as well as where the child will stay.
Understand the decision
Parenting time and decision-making responsibility are different questions. Your child’s needs guide both.
Read the parenting guide →Build a workable proposal
Compare schedules against work hours, distance, routines and safety. Include holidays, communication and a way to handle disagreements.
Use the parenting plan checklist →Find a suitable process
Ask whether a supported discussion is appropriate. Safety concerns and existing orders may change the options.
Explore ways to resolve the dispute →
I need to understand support
A reliable number begins with the right question. Child support, special expenses and spousal support involve different rules and may interact.
Understand what affects the result
Confirm the applicable rules, income, children’s arrangements, relevant period and any existing agreement or order.
Read the support guide →Choose the right calculator
Use separate child-support, spousal-support or combined workspaces. Read the coverage notes before relying on an illustration.
Choose a support calculator →Prepare for a professional review
Bring the documents, assumptions and downloaded report to your adviser. Identify any amounts you entered yourself and any calculation still requiring verification.
Review the questions to ask →
A little more understanding.
Considering Separation
What to Understand Before You Act
Make sense of the legal, financial and practical decisions before you make lasting commitments.
Read the guide CHILDREN & PARENTINGParenting Arrangements
Choosing a Plan That Fits Your Children
Look beyond percentages. Build a workable plan around care, routines, safety and your children’s needs.
Read the guide CHILD & SPOUSAL SUPPORTChild and Spousal Support
Understanding the Numbers and Gathering Your Information
Understand the separate questions behind support and prepare the records a reliable calculation needs.
Read the guideA conversation with a purpose.
Explore remote facilitative family and divorce mediation through Considered Mediation, a practice connected to DivorceNexus. Learn about the process, suitability, fees and independent legal advice, or prepare with the free Considered Mediation Handbook.
Where there are safety concerns, coercion or an imbalance of power, raise them privately before any joint meeting. Independent legal advice can support you throughout the process.