The conversations are done, the Asset Division & Support agreements have been reached, and the Parenting Plan is complete. You have all decisions about your separation on your own terms, without a court telling them what to do. Now comes the step that makes it permanent. The Fairway Negotiated Resolution Plan™ captures everything that has been agreed in a comprehensive document.
What is the Fairway Negotiated Resolution Plan™
The Fairway Negotiated Resolution Plan™ is a detailed written divorce mediation report that records every decision made throughout the INR™ process. It explains how each decision was reached: what information both parties reviewed, what calculations were considered, what both spouses understood before agreeing.
Where a decision falls outside what is standard under family law, that deviation is clearly flagged and explained, with the reasoning that supports it. As a result, this agreement is far more transparent and durable than those produced by the traditional adversarial process.
The Resolution Plan covers the full financial settlement: property division, asset allocation, equalization payment, spousal support, and child support. It includes the complete Nurtured Children Plan™: the parenting schedule, decision-making arrangements, parenting time, holiday provisions, and all other matters relating to the children.
The document is prepared on a without-prejudice basis, which means it is confidential and cannot be submitted as evidence if the mediation process were ever to break down. Every version is watermarked as DRAFT until both parties have reviewed and confirmed it. Nothing is finalized until both spouses have signed off.
Why the storytelling matters
The Resolution Plan is different from a standard legal document because it doesn’t just list the agreements, but how they were reached. This context protects both spouses long after the divorce process is complete. It is much harder to challenge a settlement when the record shows clearly that both parties were informed, and that the agreement was reached with a complete understanding of the relevant facts.
It is also what makes the independent legal advice stage significantly smoother. When both family lawyers receive the Resolution Plan alongside the formal separation agreement, then they have the full picture and the questions that might slow things down have already been answered.
In the traditional system, legal agreements capture what was agreed, e.g. the house went to this party, the spousal support payment is this amount for this duration, but they rarely explain why. If a dispute arises months or years later, there is often no record of the information both spouses had at the time, or why a particular settlement made sense.
The Fairway Negotiated Resolution Plan™ tells the full story:
How the family home was valued and what methodology both spouses agreed to use.
What spousal support calculations were reviewed and why the amount chosen reflects both parties' situations.
What both spouses understood about their pension entitlements before agreeing to the division.
Why a particular property was treated as excluded and what both parties knew about that at the time.
This is one of the most important differentiators between the Fairway divorce process and any other form of family dispute resolution available in Canada.
The review process
Both parties receive a draft of the Resolution Plan and each spouse reads through every section and confirms that the decisions recorded match what they actually agreed to. If something has been captured incorrectly then this is the time and place to correct it, before the formal legal document is drafted and before anything is signed.
The review also gives both parties the opportunity to ask questions about anything in the document they don't fully understand. Your Divorce Resolution Expert is available to walk through any section that needs clarification, and to seek legal advice on any point where an independent perspective would be helpful.
Nothing moves forward until both spouses have confirmed that the plan is accurate, complete, and truly reflects what they agreed. That confirmation is the final act of the mediation.
Client testimonials
Success comes in many forms. For us, it is hearing back from our clients and reading how we have changed their lives for the better. These stories are the reason we do what we do.
Just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for all your hard work. It was also a pleasure working with you, your kindness and patience with me did not go unnoticed. If asked about Fairway in the future, I would not hesitate to recommend you, and sing your praises!
Winnipeg Client July 2020
Divorce in Canada
This stage in the Fairway Method™ gives clear answers to any questions you may have about the following topics:
Asset Division
How Canadian law divides family property when a marriage ends: how property division works, how it varies by province, excluded property, pensions, business interests, and the unique rules that apply to the family home.
Find Out MoreChild Support
How child support is calculated in Canada using the Federal Child Support Guidelines, what income is included, how special and extraordinary expenses are handled, when support can be changed, and how it is enforced if a parent doesn't pay.
Find Out MoreChildren & Parenting
How divorce and separation affect children under Canadian law: parenting arrangements, decision-making responsibility, parenting time, relocation rules, and what courts consider when determining the best interests of the child.
Find Out MoreCommon Law Separation
Common law couples separating in Canada face different rules than married spouses,and those rules vary by province. This guide covers property rights, spousal support eligibility, parenting arrangements, and why a written agreement is critical for unmarried partners.
Find Out MoreConflict & Emotions
The emotional stages of divorce, the difference between normal distress and symptoms requiring professional support, what defines a high-conflict divorce and its impact on children, and what research says actually helps. It includes practical coping strategies and how to find affordable support.
Find Out MoreDivorce Cost and Time
Realistic cost ranges and timelines for every type of divorce in Canada, from DIY and online services through mediation, collaborative divorce, and litigation. Covers what drives costs up, what you can actually control, legal aid options, and how to build a realistic divorce budget.
Find Out MoreDivorce Mediation
An objective guide to the family mediation process: what a mediator does and does not do, how the process typically works, the difference between interest-based and directive mediation, costs, timelines, provincial differences, and how to choose a qualified mediator in Canada.
Find Out MoreDivorce Process
A step-by-step guide to Canadian divorce law in practice, from the different ways to prove a breakdown in marriage through filing, serving divorce papers, and receiving your divorce order. Covers uncontested and contested divorce proceedings, timelines by province, and what happens if your spouse won't cooperate.
Find Out MoreDivorce Support
A practical guide to every type of support available to Canadians going through separation: therapy, legal advice, financial guidance, peer groups, and parenting support. Covers what each costs, who each is for, and how to access help in your province.
Find Out MoreHousing Concers
Who gets to stay in the house, the four most common options for the family home (buyout, sale, delayed sale, nesting), and post-divorce housing realities for Canadian families. Covers the matrimonial home rules in and how they vary across provinces.
Find Out MoreLegal Representation
When you need a lawyer, when you don't, and what your options are in between: unbundled legal services, duty counsel, Legal Aid eligibility, online legal information resources, and how to get independent legal advice without paying for full representation.
Find Out MorePower Imbalance
Recognizing emotional abuse, coercive control, financial abuse, and intimidation during separation, and understanding how Canadian law now treats these dynamics under the Divorce Act. Covers safety planning, and when mediation is and is not appropriate.
Find Out MorePrenuptual, Postnuptual and Cohabitation Agreements
What domestic contracts can and cannot do in Canada, how courts assess their enforceability, what full financial disclosure and independent legal advice are required, and how the rules differ across the provinces. Includes cohabitation rights for common law couples.
Find Out MoreSeparation Agreement
What a separation agreement is, what it must cover to be enforceable, how it differs from a divorce order, and the risks of DIY agreements. A well-drafted separation agreement reviewed by a family lawyer resolves all issues and supports a clean, uncontested divorce filing.
Find Out MoreSpousal Support
Who qualifies for spousal support in Canada, how amounts and duration are determined under the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines, the difference between compensatory and non-compensatory support, and when and how support can be varied or terminated.
Find Out More
Asset Division
How Canadian law divides family property when a marriage ends: how property division works, how it varies by province, excluded property, pensions, business interests, and the unique rules that apply to the family home.
Child Support
How child support is calculated in Canada using the Federal Child Support Guidelines, what income is included, how special and extraordinary expenses are handled, when support can be changed, and how it is enforced if a parent doesn't pay.
Children & Parenting
How divorce and separation affect children under Canadian law: parenting arrangements, decision-making responsibility, parenting time, relocation rules, and what courts consider when determining the best interests of the child.
Common Law Separation
Common law couples separating in Canada face different rules than married spouses,and those rules vary by province. This guide covers property rights, spousal support eligibility, parenting arrangements, and why a written agreement is critical for unmarried partners.
Conflict & Emotions
The emotional stages of divorce, the difference between normal distress and symptoms requiring professional support, what defines a high-conflict divorce and its impact on children, and what research says actually helps. It includes practical coping strategies and how to find affordable support.
Divorce Cost and Time
Realistic cost ranges and timelines for every type of divorce in Canada, from DIY and online services through mediation, collaborative divorce, and litigation. Covers what drives costs up, what you can actually control, legal aid options, and how to build a realistic divorce budget.
Divorce Mediation
An objective guide to the family mediation process: what a mediator does and does not do, how the process typically works, the difference between interest-based and directive mediation, costs, timelines, provincial differences, and how to choose a qualified mediator in Canada.
Divorce Process
A step-by-step guide to Canadian divorce law in practice, from the different ways to prove a breakdown in marriage through filing, serving divorce papers, and receiving your divorce order. Covers uncontested and contested divorce proceedings, timelines by province, and what happens if your spouse won't cooperate.
Divorce Support
A practical guide to every type of support available to Canadians going through separation: therapy, legal advice, financial guidance, peer groups, and parenting support. Covers what each costs, who each is for, and how to access help in your province.
Housing Concers
Who gets to stay in the house, the four most common options for the family home (buyout, sale, delayed sale, nesting), and post-divorce housing realities for Canadian families. Covers the matrimonial home rules in and how they vary across provinces.
Legal Representation
When you need a lawyer, when you don't, and what your options are in between: unbundled legal services, duty counsel, Legal Aid eligibility, online legal information resources, and how to get independent legal advice without paying for full representation.
Power Imbalance
Recognizing emotional abuse, coercive control, financial abuse, and intimidation during separation, and understanding how Canadian law now treats these dynamics under the Divorce Act. Covers safety planning, and when mediation is and is not appropriate.
Prenuptual, Postnuptual and Cohabitation Agreements
What domestic contracts can and cannot do in Canada, how courts assess their enforceability, what full financial disclosure and independent legal advice are required, and how the rules differ across the provinces. Includes cohabitation rights for common law couples.
Separation Agreement
What a separation agreement is, what it must cover to be enforceable, how it differs from a divorce order, and the risks of DIY agreements. A well-drafted separation agreement reviewed by a family lawyer resolves all issues and supports a clean, uncontested divorce filing.
Spousal Support
Who qualifies for spousal support in Canada, how amounts and duration are determined under the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines, the difference between compensatory and non-compensatory support, and when and how support can be varied or terminated.Frequently asked questions
At Fairway, we understand that facing a divorce is daunting, bringing mixed emotions and many questions. We are committed to ensuring that you have the knowledge and tools to move through the process in a way that protects your assets and your children.
See All Frequently Asked Questions
It is a comprehensive written record of every financial and parenting decision made throughout the INR™ process, including the reasoning behind each agreement. Depending on the complexity of the file, it runs from 10 to 50 pages. It is the document that captures the full story of the settlement: not just the terms, but how and why each outcome was reached.
No. It is a without-prejudice document, prepared on a confidential basis. It is not a legally binding agreement. The Matrimonial Separation Agreement is the legal agreement drafted from the Resolution Plan by a lawyer. The two documents travel together to the independent legal advisors, and both are reviewed before the legally binding separation agreement is signed.
The Resolution Plan is produced through a carefully structured process designed to address all key matters before the draft is prepared. Both parties will have the opportunity to request minor corrections, and any necessary adjustments are resolved before the separation agreement is drafted, ensuring the plan accurately reflects what was agreed.
Both spouses receive a copy. The lawyer drafting the separation agreement works uses the Resolution Plan. Each spouse's independent legal advisor / family lawyer receives it together with the separation agreement so they have full context for the settlement. It is not a court document and is not submitted to any court or court order process.
If a term has been captured incorrectly then the divorce mediation expert corrects it. If a genuine new dispute emerges then the mediator will work through it with you. However, the review stage is rarely where new conflicts arise. By this point, you have both reached agreement through a thorough, step-by-step process of family mediation. What the review catches is errors, not new disagreements.