Everything each spouse should put on the table before the first mediation session, and why an agreement built on missing numbers can be set aside later.
⚖️ This is general information, not legal advice. It can't account for your specific situation. Use it to get oriented, then confirm the details with a licensed Ontario lawyer.
Mediation only works when both people are looking at the same numbers. Ontario law treats financial disclosure as the foundation of any separation agreement: under section 56(4) of the Family Law Act, a court may set aside a domestic contract if one party failed to disclose significant assets, debts or other liabilities that existed when it was made. Mediators are not investigators, so the exchange is up to you and your lawyers. This checklist mirrors what a court would require on Form 13 or Form 13.1 under the Family Law Rules, so nothing has to be redone if the file ever goes to court. Gather what applies, share copies, and keep a record of what was exchanged and when.
Income
- Last three years of T1 income tax returns, including all schedules — the starting point for both child and spousal support
- Notices of Assessment and any Reassessment for the same three years — confirms what the Canada Revenue Agency actually accepted
- Your three most recent pay stubs, or a letter from your employer showing year-to-date pay — the current-year picture the tax return cannot show
- If self-employed or incorporated: financial statements of the business for three years, plus a note of any personal expenses run through it — support income can be adjusted for these
- Statements of any other income: rental, investment, pension, disability, employment insurance, social assistance, gifts or allowances from family
- Anything showing income has recently changed or is about to — a layoff notice, a new contract, a retirement date
Assets on the date of marriage and the date of separation
- Bank and credit union statements for every account, in your name or joint — as of the separation date and, if you can, the marriage date
- Investment, RRSP, TFSA, RESP and RDSP statements — same two dates; RESPs are usually treated as belonging to the children's future, but they still get listed
- The most recent statement for every pension, and for a defined-benefit plan the Family Law Value from the plan administrator — pensions are property under Part I of the Family Law Act
- Property tax assessment or a current market appraisal for the matrimonial home and any other real estate, plus the deed or transfer showing who is on title
- Vehicles, boats, trailers: ownership and a fair current value — a private-sale listing for a comparable model is usually enough for mediation
- Life insurance policies with any cash surrender value, and the beneficiary designation on each
- Business interests: share register, shareholder agreement and the latest valuation or financial statements — a formal valuation may be needed later
- Anything of unusual value: collections, jewellery, tools, cryptocurrency wallets, money owed to you by others
Debts on the same two dates
- Mortgage statement showing the balance on the separation date, and any secured line of credit on the home
- Credit card and line of credit statements for every account, joint or individual
- Car loans, student loans, personal loans, money owed to family — with a note of what the money was borrowed for
- Tax owing to the Canada Revenue Agency, including any instalments or arrears
- Guarantees you have signed for someone else's debt, including a business
Excluded property, if you are married
- Proof of any inheritance or gift received from a third person during the marriage, and where that money is now — it is excluded from net family property only if it can still be traced
- Documents for anything owned on the marriage date — the value then is deducted, so old statements matter more than people expect
- Life insurance proceeds or a damages award for personal injury received during the marriage — both are excluded under section 4(2) of the Family Law Act
Children's expenses
- Receipts or invoices for child care, medical and dental costs above insurance, extracurricular activities and post-secondary tuition — these are the section 7 special or extraordinary expenses shared in proportion to income
- The benefits booklet for any workplace health plan that covers the children — coverage is usually continued by agreement
- The most recent Canada Child Benefit notice — shows who is currently receiving it
The paperwork of the relationship itself
- Marriage certificate, or evidence of when cohabitation began if you are not married
- Any marriage contract, cohabitation agreement or earlier separation agreement — the mediator needs to know what has already been agreed
- Existing court orders or support arrangements, including anything registered with the Family Responsibility Office
- A one-page monthly budget for each household after separation — most mediators ask for this and it makes support discussions concrete
How Treadstone Law can help
Exchange copies, not originals, and date each bundle. If something is genuinely unavailable, say so in writing and explain why. Complete disclosure protects the agreement you sign at the end, and it protects you from having to defend it later.
Treadstone Law handles family matters on a transparent flat fee, with online intake and a real lawyer on your file, across Ontario.
- Start your file online at treadstonelaw.ca/start-file
- See flat-fee pricing at treadstonelaw.ca/pricing
- Learn more about our family services at treadstonelaw.ca/family
- Or call us: 1-844-900-1070
This is not legal advice
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Ontario laws and government programs change, and how the law applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, speak with a licensed Ontario lawyer. Treadstone Law is licensed by the Law Society of Ontario — reach us at 1-844-900-1070 or start a file online.