The Legal Dos and Don’ts of Selling Your Home During a Divorce


So, you’re getting a divorce. Almost nobody thinks it will happen to them, but if it’s happening to you, you’re in the company of about 2.7 million other divorced Canadians. And, like many of them, you’ll soon stop Googling “how to sell a home during divorce” because it’ll all be settled, and you’ll be busy getting on with life.
In the meantime, if you and your spouse are legally married and own a home, selling could be the ticket to the next chapter in your story. True, you have other options, like one of you buying out the other’s share of the house or maintaining joint ownership and turning it into a rental property or continuing to live under the same roof and leading separate lives (kudos to anyone who can pull that one off!), but there are countless reasons why spouses opt to offload the family home.
Of course, it’s not always easy for couples to make the decision to sell – we imbue our homes with personal meaning and memories, and for many Canadians, they symbolize our level of achievement in life. Selling your home because of divorce can feel like going backwards, conceding defeat, or losing a cherished part of yourself, and we haven’t even touched on how the kids will be affected! But if selling seems like the right option for you, we’ve prepared a quick guide on the legal dos and don’ts to help you know your rights, stay on course, and keep a cool head throughout the process.

Understanding the basics of what’s allowed and what’s advisable when selling the matrimonial home can provide some direction as you start down this road, but you should always seek the advice of a divorce attorney and/or legal professional specializing in real estate divorce before taking any significant steps. Doing so will help you be prepared for any turbulence during your home sale (we are only human, after all), making the path to the finish line a smoother one.
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References
Number of divorced people in Canada from 2000 to 2020
Canada.ca: Housing after you separate or divorce
FamilyLLB Ontario Divorce Education Centre: Selling the matrimonial home & an introduction to Ontario Divorce Laws
Feldstein Family Law Group: Division of Assets
John P. Schuman C.S., Child and Family Law: When can I throw out my ex’s stuff?
Livabl_: Here’s what happens to the house after a divorce in Canada
MoneySense: What happens to real estate during a divorce?
Ontario.ca: Dividing property when a marriage or common law relationship ends
Russell Alexander Family Lawyers: The divorce process in Ontario
The Common Sense Divorce: The matrimonial home in Ontario