Cairn journal
Legal basics
Legal basics — plain-language articles to help you understand this part of the Ontario family law process.
Do common-law partners have property rights in Ontario?
Common-law partners in Ontario have no automatic right to split property. Here is what you can actually claim, what stays in whose name, and where support still applies.
Norm Barrette · Jul 13, 2026 · 3 min read
Common-law separation in Ontario — what's different from marriage
If you're separating from a common-law partner in Ontario, the rules are not the same as a married divorce. Child support and spousal support can still apply, but there is no automatic property split — and that one difference changes almost every decision you make next.
Norm Barrette · Jul 1, 2026 · 7 min read
Cohabitation agreement in Ontario — what it does and when to sign
Common-law partners in Ontario do not share property the way married spouses do, but spousal support still kicks in after three years. A cohabitation agreement locks down the defaults — here is what goes in one and what makes it stick.
Norm Barrette · May 22, 2026 · 8 min read
A separation agreement in Ontario — what to include and how to get one
A separation agreement is the private contract that ends the four arguments — parenting, support, property, the home. Done right, it costs a fraction of court and survives twenty years. Here is what has to be in it and what makes it enforceable in Ontario.
Norm Barrette · May 15, 2026 · 8 min read
Your rights to the matrimonial home in Ontario
You don't have to leave the matrimonial home when you separate in Ontario — regardless of whose name is on title. Here is the calm, plain-English version of what the law actually says, what exclusive possession means, and how the house factors into the property math.
Norm Barrette · May 12, 2026 · 9 min read
Can my spouse change the locks while we're separating?
Both spouses in Ontario have equal possession rights to the matrimonial home, regardless of whose name is on title. Your spouse cannot legally lock you out. Here is the law, the exception, and what to do if it happens to you.
Norm Barrette · May 8, 2026 · 3 min read
The 30-day separation checklist for Ontario fathers
The first month of separation has more decisions than any other thirty days you have ever lived through. Here is the structured, week-by-week checklist for Ontario fathers — what to do in week one, week two, week three, and week four, and the order to do it in.
Norm Barrette · May 7, 2026 · 5 min read
When your ex has a lawyer and you're self-representing in Ontario
Your ex retained a lawyer. You're choosing to self-represent. In Ontario family law that is workable if you respect three things — process, paperwork, and pace. Here is what changes with counsel on the other side, and the trip-wires that tell you when to bring in your own.
Norm Barrette · May 7, 2026 · 8 min read
What to do in the first 30 days of separation in Ontario
The first month of separation in Ontario is when most of the costly mistakes get made — and most of them happen in the first 48 hours. Here is the calm, step-by-step version. What to do, what not to do, what to gather, and the one thing to do this week.
Norm Barrette · May 6, 2026 · 7 min read
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