Your checklist

19 things for the first week

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1. Know where you stand

Get your credit report from both Canadian credit bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion. In the US, get reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion through AnnualCreditReport.com.Look for accounts you do not recognise and every debt in your name, joint or not. Free copies are available in both countries.
List every joint account, card, loan, line of credit and mortgage, with today's balance.A screenshot or statement dated close to your separation date is useful later for dividing property and debt.
Write down your separation date and how you know it (for example, the day one of you moved out).The date can matter for property, support and tax.

2. Joint cards and secondary cardholders

Find out which credit cards you hold as the primary cardholder and which you are only an additional user on.The primary cardholder is usually responsible for all charges, including those made by additional users.
Ask each card issuer what your options are, such as removing an additional cardholder or lowering a limit.Closing or freezing joint credit can affect the other person, so get advice first and keep a record of what you did and why.
Do not empty joint accounts or run up joint credit.Moving large sums without agreement can look bad later and may have to be accounted for. If you need money for living costs, keep receipts.

3. Passwords and access

Change passwords for your own email, banking, phone account and cloud storage, and turn on two-step verification.Start with email: it is the key to resetting everything else.
Check shared devices, shared password managers, saved logins and location sharing.If you are worried about your safety, changes can alert the other person. Talk to a domestic violence support line about timing first.

4. Automatic payments

List every pre-authorised debit and automatic payment, and which account it comes from.Rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance, phone, subscriptions, loan payments, children's activities.
Agree, in writing if you can, who pays which essential bills for now.Keep the mortgage or rent, insurance and utilities paid while things are sorted out. Missed payments hurt both credit records.

5. Documents to copy

Tax returns and notices of assessment (Canada) or W-2s and 1099s (US) for the last three years.
Recent pay stubs, and any business or self-employment records.
Statements for bank, investment, RRSP or 401(k), pension, TFSA or IRA, RESP or 529, and loan accounts.
Mortgage, property tax, lease, vehicle ownership and insurance policies.
Keep the copies somewhere only you can reach, such as a new email account or a trusted person's home.Copy documents you have normal access to. Ask a lawyer before taking anything that belongs only to the other person.

6. Money in your own name

Open a bank account in your name only, at a different branch or bank if that feels safer.Ask your employer to deposit your pay there from now on.
Write a simple one-month budget for your own costs and the children's.It helps with support discussions and with your own peace of mind.
Canada: tell the CRA about your change in marital status once you have been separated for more than 90 days, by the end of the following month.It can change your benefit and credit payments.
US: after a divorce or legal separation, check whether you need to give your employer a new Form W-4.IRS Publication 504 sets a 10-day deadline in some cases.

If you are not safe

Safety comes before paperwork

If you are afraid of your partner or ex, call 911 in an emergency. Changing passwords, moving money or copying documents can sometimes raise risk, so talk to a domestic violence support service about a safety plan first. FairWell's safety planning guide lists where to start in Canada and the US.

Read the safety planning guide

What this is and isn't

General information, not advice for your situation

This tool is

A practical list of first steps that help protect your finances and your records.
Written for Canada and the US, with notes where the two differ.
Something you can print and take to a first lawyer or financial planner meeting.

This tool isn't

Advice to close, freeze or move money in any particular account. Some moves can have legal consequences, so ask first.
A full financial disclosure list. Use the FairWell disclosure checklist when you get there.
A safety plan. If you are at risk, start with a domestic violence support service.

Rules differ between provinces, territories and states, and they change. Before you rely on anything here, check it with a family lawyer, mediator or other qualified professional in your province or state.

Sources

Where this comes from

Official sources we checked on October 22, 2026.

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: Getting your credit report and credit score Names Equifax and TransUnion as Canada's two main credit bureaus. Page modified July 1, 2026.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: How do I get a free copy of my credit reports? Free weekly reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion at AnnualCreditReport.com. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
Canada Revenue Agency: Change your marital status Separated for more than 90 days; tell the CRA by the end of the following month. Page modified March 20, 2026.
IRS Publication 504, Divorced or Separated Individuals Form W-4 after divorce or separation. Page last reviewed April 30, 2026.

Related on FairWell

Keep going on FairWell

The first 30 daysThe wider checklist: safety, money, documents and children.Financial disclosure checklistEvery document you will eventually need.Joint debt at separationWho owes what, and how to protect your credit.Financial abuse: first movesSigns to watch for and where to get help.Free assessmentFind your next step in about five minutes.Support calculatorsEstimate child and spousal support.

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Week-one money checklist