The decision between maintaining one RESP or creating separate accounts depends on your specific situation and ability to cooperate after divorce.

Maintaining a single RESP offers advantages like simpler administration, maximized compound growth, coordinated investment decisions, and clear grant eligibility tracking. Creating separate RESPs provides each parent with independent control, allows different investment approaches, accommodates varying contribution capacities, and simplifies administration when communication is difficult.

Many financial experts recommend a hybrid approach: freeze contributions to the existing RESP (preserving established investments) while each parent opens new, individually-sponsored RESPs for future contributions. Under the Income Tax Act, there’s no requirement to divide RESP assets upon relationship breakdown, so former spouses can remain joint subscribers after separation if they choose.