Worked example ยท composite, anonymised
A business owner and a 22-year marriage: British Columbia
Sam (owns a landscaping company) and Alex (part-time bookkeeper, left the workforce for ten years), married 22 years, adult children, house, company valued at $600,000.
The route
The business made this too complex for a self-serve path alone. They used FairWell for disclosure and the draft, jointly retained one business valuator, and each had a lawyer negotiate the business terms.
Property
Under the BC Family Law Act the company was family property to the extent it grew during the relationship. A joint valuation produced $600,000 with a note on personal goodwill. Sam kept the company; Alex took the house equity and the RRSPs, with a $60,000 balance paid over three years, secured against the company shares.
Support
Alex's ten years out of the workforce made this a compensatory case. The SSAG range at 22 years produced indefinite support. They agreed a monthly amount with a review at Sam's retirement and a clause acknowledging the double-dipping principle so the RRSP transfer was not counted again as income.
Cost and time
$999 package plus $4,500 for the joint valuation and roughly $6,000 each in lawyer fees for the negotiated business terms. Signed in five months. Far below the $30,000 to $50,000 each that a litigated version would have cost.
See what your version looks like
The free assessment maps your situation to a route, a cost range and the professionals you will need.
Start the free assessment