Cairn journal
Money & finances
Money & finances — plain-language articles to help you understand this part of the Ontario family law process.
How to complete a Form 13 financial statement in Ontario
Form 13 and Form 13.1 are the sworn financial statements your Ontario family case runs on. Here is which one you need and how to complete it without hurting your case.
Norm Barrette · Jul 13, 2026 · 4 min read
Sell, keep, or buy out the house after separation in Ontario
The house is usually the biggest decision of a separation and the hardest to reverse. This is the Ontario framework for the three options — sell, keep, or buy out — with the equity math, the affordability test, and where the equalization number quietly changes everything.
Norm Barrette · Jul 1, 2026 · 7 min read
Financial disclosure in an Ontario separation: why your case is won on documents
Most men think a family case is won by arguing well in front of a judge. It is won on paper. Financial disclosure is the most basic obligation in Ontario family law, and the man who discloses early and completely controls the outcome. Here is what to share and when.
Norm Barrette · Jun 20, 2026 · 7 min read
Can my ex quit her job to lower child support in Ontario?
A parent who quits or underearns to change child support in Ontario can have income imputed — the court treats them as still earning what they could. Here is when section 19 applies, when a genuine income drop is accepted instead, and the one move to make in each case.
Norm Barrette · Jun 19, 2026 · 3 min read
How does shared (50/50) custody change child support in Ontario?
Many separated fathers assume equal parenting time means no child support. In Ontario it triggers the section 9 set-off instead: each parent's table amount is calculated and the higher earner pays the difference. Here is how the 40% threshold works, with the numbers.
Norm Barrette · Jun 19, 2026 · 3 min read
Section 7 expenses in Ontario — what they are and how they are split
Section 7 expenses sit on top of the table amount of child support, split in proportion to each parent's income. Most Ontario fathers underestimate how much section 7 adds — here is what counts, what does not, and how to handle it in your agreement.
Norm Barrette · May 19, 2026 · 7 min read
Common-law spousal support in Ontario: who pays, how much
In Ontario, common-law spouses owe spousal support if they cohabited 3+ years or share a child. Here is how entitlement, the SSAG formula, and tax actually work.
Norm Barrette · May 15, 2026 · 7 min read
Equalization and dividing property in Ontario after separation
Ontario does not split your assets in half — it equalizes the growth in each spouse's net worth. Here is how Net Family Property and the equalization payment actually work.
Norm Barrette · May 14, 2026 · 5 min read
Spousal support in Ontario — who pays, how much, how long
Spousal support in Ontario is not automatic — entitlement comes first, then the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines set a monthly range and a duration from your incomes and the length of the relationship. Here is how the range, the Rule of 65, and the tax deduction actually work.
Norm Barrette · May 13, 2026 · 5 min read
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