Reference
Ontario Family Law Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms that appear throughout the Ontario separation agreement process. Each one is its own short page — link to it, share it, or read it stand-alone.
Cohabitation Date
Cohabitation date is the day you and your partner started living together as a couple — with the intention to be in a committed relationship, not just as roommates.
Read full definition →Date of Separation
The date of separation is the day you and your partner decided the relationship was over. Almost every clause in your separation agreement refers back to it.
Read full definition →Equalization Payment
An equalization payment is one cash payment from one spouse to the other to make sure each of you walks out of the marriage with the same value of property growth.
Read full definition →Net Family Property
Net Family Property is what each of you has — assets minus debts — on the separation date, minus what you brought into the marriage.
Read full definition →Section 7 Expenses
Section 7 expenses are the "extras" — daycare, medical, post-secondary, big extracurriculars — that are paid on top of the basic monthly child support amount, usually split based on each parent's share of combined income.
Read full definition →Rule of 65
The Rule of 65 says spousal support is often indefinite when the recipient's age plus the length of the marriage adds up to 65 or more at the date of separation.
Read full definition →SSAG
The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG) is a non-binding framework that gives a low, mid, and high range for spousal support based on income, relationship length, and whether children are involved.
Read full definition →Federal Child Support Tables
The Federal Child Support Tables are the official Canadian schedule that sets the basic monthly amount of child support based on the payor's annual income, the number of children, and the province.
Read full definition →Independent Legal Advice
Independent legal advice means each of you has your own lawyer (not the same one, not the other party's lawyer) review the separation agreement before signing.
Read full definition →Matrimonial Home
The matrimonial home is the home where you and your spouse ordinarily lived together at the time of separation. Ontario treats it specially — it is fully included in equalization even if one of you owned it before marriage.
Read full definition →Spousal Support Duration
Spousal support duration under the SSAG runs from half to all of the relationship length, with indefinite support possible under the Rule of 65.
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