What evidence does a court require to prove financial dependency in an Ontario dependant support claim?

There's no single fixed checklist, but a court generally wants to see real, documented evidence of the pattern and consistency of support the deceased was providing before death. This typically includes financial records like bank statements, cancelled cheques, or e-transfer histories showing regular payments; evidence of shared or paid-for housing costs; and records of bills, tuition, medical costs, or other expenses the deceased covered.

Beyond hard financial records, communications between the claimant and the deceased — texts, emails, or letters discussing the support arrangement — can help show the relationship was understood by both people as one of ongoing support, not a one-off gift. Witnesses who observed the support relationship, such as family members or friends, can also help corroborate the pattern. What matters most is showing consistency over time and that the support was a genuine feature of the relationship immediately before death, not an isolated gesture. Because there's no fixed legal checklist and every family's situation looks different, claimants are generally best served by gathering as much documentation as they can find early, before records become harder to track down, and discussing with a lawyer which evidence will carry the most weight in their particular case.