Last reviewed: October 18, 2026 by Ken S. Maynard, AP.fm, CDFA

The Divorce Financial Readiness Scorecard is a free online questionnaire that shows how prepared you are for the money side of separation. You answer questions about 15 key financial areas, from the matrimonial home to pensions, debt and taxes. You get a readiness score for each area, so you can see where you’re on solid ground and where to focus first, plus a personalized ebook based on your answers.

Most people going through separation know some of their finances well and others hardly at all. Often one spouse handled the money during the marriage, and the other is now trying to catch up fast. As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and family mediator, I built this scorecard so you can find your blind spots before you sit down to negotiate, not after you’ve signed.

What the scorecard covers

The questions cover the 15 financial areas that come up again and again in Ontario separations. Here they are, grouped by topic.

Topic	Areas the scorecard covers
Home and property	Matrimonial home; mortgage; family property; separate property
Retirement and investments	Retirement assets, pensions and RRSPs; investments; savings
Day-to-day money	Managing finances; cash flow and budgeting; credit cards
Children and protection	Children’s post-secondary costs; life insurance; disaster preparedness
Tax and business	Tax returns; business interests

You don’t need to be an expert in any of these to take the scorecard. It’s designed to show you what you know today, so you can see what to learn next.

Why financial readiness matters before you negotiate

Separation decisions about money are hard to undo. Once a separation agreement is signed, changing how you divided the house, the pensions or the debts is difficult and expensive. So the best time to understand your finances is before the negotiation starts.

Being ready also saves time and money. In mediation or in court, you each need to give full financial disclosure. That usually means sharing documents and a financial statement (Form 13 or 13.1) that lists your income, assets and debts. People who already understand their finances get through this step faster and make better decisions with the numbers in front of them.

And readiness lowers the stress. When you know where you stand, a proposal from your spouse is something you can weigh calmly, instead of something you have to accept or reject in the dark.

How the scorecard works

1. Answer the questionnaire. Work through the questions online. Answer honestly based on what you know today. There are no wrong answers.
2. Get your readiness score. You see your overall score and a score for each of the 15 areas.
3. See where to focus. Your lowest-scoring areas show you where to start.
4. Read your personalized ebook. It’s built from your answers, so it speaks to your situation instead of covering everything for everyone.
5. Take the next step. Use your results to gather documents, ask better questions, and bring a clear list of concerns to mediation or to your lawyer.

What your score means

A low score isn’t a failure. It’s a map. It tells you which parts of your finances need attention before you make big decisions.

A high score is good news, but check the details. You might know your own accounts well and still have gaps around your spouse’s pension, the tax side of a home buyout, or what happens to a family business. Those are the areas where a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst often pays for themselves.

Either way, your results give you a starting point and a short list of what to do next.

Documents to start gathering

Your score tells you where to focus. These documents are where most people start, because they come up in almost every separation:

• Tax returns and Notices of Assessment for the last three years. If there’s a support claim in court, Ontario’s Family Law Rules require your Notices of Assessment for the three previous years.
• Proof of current income, such as recent pay stubs.
• Bank, savings and investment statements, including TFSAs and RRSPs.
• Pension statements from every workplace plan.
• Mortgage, line of credit and credit card statements.
• Life insurance policies and who the beneficiaries are. My guide to life insurance and divorce explains why this matters.

Many of these values are measured on your date of separation, so get statements for that date as well as current ones. Two other early steps help almost everyone: list your monthly spending to start a post-separation budget, and check your credit report so you know which debts are in your name.

For a full list of what mediation needs, see my divorce mediation checklist.

Who the scorecard is for

• You’re thinking about separating and want to understand your finances before you decide anything.
• You’ve just separated and feel overwhelmed by the money questions.
• Your spouse handled most of the finances and you need to catch up quickly.
• You’re about to start mediation and want to arrive prepared.
• You’ve received a settlement proposal and want to know what questions to ask before you respond.

The scorecard works whether you were married or living common-law. Some property rules are different for common-law partners, which the questions below explain.

When you’re ready to talk through your results, we can help you understand them and plan your next steps.

Divorce Financial Readiness Scorecard: common questions

Is the Divorce Financial Readiness Scorecard free?

Yes, the scorecard and your personalized ebook are free, and there’s no obligation to book anything afterward

You can complete the questionnaire, get your score for each area and receive your personalized ebook at no cost. If you’d like help with your results, you can book a free Get Acquainted Call, but that’s entirely up to you.

Is this the same as the DFRI?

Yes, the scorecard is the new name for the Divorce Financial Readiness Indicator (DFRI)

We renamed it to make it clearer what you get: a score that shows your readiness across 15 financial areas. If you’ve seen the DFRI mentioned in an email or on another page, it’s the same tool.

Is the scorecard financial or legal advice?

No, it’s a self-assessment that shows where to focus, not advice about your situation

Your score helps you see which financial areas you understand and which need more attention. It doesn’t tell you what to do with your house, pension or support.

For advice about your rights, speak with a family lawyer. For a detailed look at the numbers, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst can show you how different settlement options affect you over time.

Should my spouse take the scorecard too?

It can help if you each take it on your own, then compare the areas where you both need more information

Couples in mediation often find they have different blind spots. One knows the pensions, the other knows the household budget. Seeing both sets of results can show you where to share information so you’re negotiating from the same facts.

What should I do after I get my score?

Start with your lowest-scoring areas and gather the documents that go with them

For example, if you scored low on pensions, ask for your latest pension statement. If you scored low on taxes, pull your last three years of tax returns and Notices of Assessment.

Then bring your questions to mediation, to your lawyer, or to a free Get Acquainted Call with us.

Does the scorecard work for common-law couples?

Yes, but some areas, such as property division, follow different rules for common-law partners in Ontario

Ontario’s equalization rules for dividing family property apply to married spouses. Common-law partners usually keep what’s in their own name, though there are exceptions. The scorecard still helps you see what you know about your finances, but get legal advice on how the property rules apply to you.

What financial advice can I get during a divorce?

You can get help from a family lawyer, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, an accountant and a mediator, each for a different part

A family lawyer advises you on your legal rights and reviews your agreement. A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) shows you how settlement options affect your money over time, including taxes, pensions and cash flow. An accountant can help with tax returns and business income.

A family mediator helps you and your spouse reach an agreement together. At Divorce the Smartway, our mediators work alongside CDFA analysis so you can see the numbers while you negotiate.

What’s the biggest financial mistake people make in a divorce?

Signing an agreement before you understand what each option is really worth over time

Two settlements can look equal on paper and play out very differently. Keeping the house can leave you with less cash and a bigger monthly bill. Taking a pension instead of savings changes when you can use the money and how it’s taxed.

The scorecard helps you spot the areas you don’t fully understand yet, so you can get answers before you sign, not after.

General information, not legal or financial advice.