After a Petition has been served and the other side has provided its response, the next step is usually to exchange any disclosure necessary to assess the matters that are in dispute. For example, suppose support is an issue. In that case, each party's income information for the past three years is relevant to determining their income for child or spousal support, including full Income Tax Returns, Notices of Assessment or Reassessment, and if that party is a shareholder in a corporation, the Financial Statements and Corporate Tax Returns for the corporation.

If property is in dispute, then any statements outlining the value of assets and debts as of the date the Petition was issued need to be exchanged. This can include bank account, investment, RRSP, pension, and debt statements. During this time, parties, either on their own or jointly with the other side, may engage an appraiser to value any real property owned by either of them, including the family home, cabins, rental properties, farmland, etc. Sometimes appraisals are obtained for other items in dispute, such as vehicles, household goods, jewellery or artwork.

The type of disclosure required depends on the specific circumstances of each matter. A member of our family law department would be happy to assist with the gathering and exchanging of any necessary/relevant documents. Contact our family law team at www.mckercher.ca/familylawsask.