The Playbook

The Playbook

Everything most people learn the hard way — the law, the players, the costs, the paths. Read this and the next conversation you have with a lawyer will be on different terms.

  1. 01
    8 min read·Free

    How Canadian divorce actually works

    The 30,000-foot view — federal vs provincial, separation vs divorce, and the six stages every legal file moves through.

  2. 02
    12 min read·Free with signup

    The professional ecosystem

    Lawyer vs paralegal vs mediator vs coach vs CDFA vs collaborative lawyer — who does what, what each costs, when to engage which.

  3. 03
    10 min read·Free with signup

    The three paths

    Uncontested DIY, mediation or collaborative, full litigation — what each costs, who each is for, and how each one fails.

  4. 04
    14 min read·Free with signup

    What lawyers actually bill for

    A line-item walkthrough of where $20,000 goes — and the seven invisible cost drivers most clients only see in retrospect.

  5. 05
    13 min read·Free with signup

    The minimum viable lawyer engagement

    For an amicable separation, the literal minimum lawyer hours required — what you do, what they do, and what 'amicable enough' actually means.

  6. 06
    12 min read·Free with signup

    When you absolutely need a litigation lawyer

    Five situations where trying to minimise lawyer involvement is the most expensive mistake you can make — and how to engage fast when the file requires it.

  7. 07
    12 min read·Free with signup

    Hiring a family lawyer

    The eight questions to ask in the first 15 minutes, the three walk-away signals, and the exact package to bring to every consultation.

  8. 08
    6 min read·Free with signup

    The Rule of 65 — why your separation date can change support forever

    A single SSAG rule can flip spousal support from a fixed number of years to indefinite. If you're anywhere near the threshold, the timing of separation is a strategic decision, not an accident.

  9. 09
    6 min read·Free with signup

    How SSAG ranges actually work

    Why the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines give you a range instead of a single number — and what actually moves you within it.

These seven articles are the strategic frame the rest of OkayDivorce is built on. AI Counsel will reference them. The Form 13 builder will reference them. The roadmap will tell you when to read each.