Clarity through authority.

In Alberta, the Family Property Act (formerly Matrimonial Property Act) governs the division of assets for married couples and adult interdependent partners (AIPs) upon separation. The law presumes an equal (50/50) split of all property and debts acquired during the relationship, though some exemptions exist for property owned before marriage, inheritances, or gifts.

The Financial Disclosure Statement is a mandatory, sworn document that outlines a party’s complete income, assets, and liabilities in family law disputes (divorce, property division, support). It requires, at a minimum, 3 years of tax records and 6 months of bank and credit card statements to ensure transparent, fair settlements.

Imputed income is an amount of income assigned to a spouse by a court for calculating support, even if that person is not actually earning that amount.

Special or extraordinary expenses (often called Section 7 expenses) in Canada are costs for a child that go beyond standard child support and are shared proportionally between parents based on income. They must be necessary and reasonable, typically including childcare, uninsured medical/dental ($>$$100/year), premiums, post-secondary education, and significant extracurricular activities.

A CRA summary showing the income reported from a tax year and any assessed balance, refund or adjustments.