Your wedding day changes more than your relationship status. The moment you’re legally married in Ontario, a cascade of legal and financial changes takes effect automatically. Most couples have no idea these changes are happening while they’re cutting the cake.
Here’s what shifts the second you say “I do.”
Your Will Needs Reviewing (Even Though It’s No Longer Revoked)
Before 2022, marriage in Ontario automatically revoked any existing will. That rule was repealed by Bill 245, effective January 1, 2022. So if you marry today, your pre-existing will remains technically valid.
But “technically valid” and “appropriate for your new reality” are two very different things. A will written before your marriage likely doesn’t name your spouse, doesn’t reflect shared assets, and may conflict with your prenup’s terms. Reviewing and updating your will after the wedding should be one of the first things you do, not something you get around to eventually.
Your Spouse Gets Automatic Property Rights
Under Ontario’s Family Law Act, your new spouse immediately gains significant property rights. They acquire an equal right to possession of the matrimonial home, regardless of whose name is on the title. They gain the right to equalization of net family property if the marriage ends. And they gain the right to elect between what your will provides and their equalization entitlement if you die.
These rights exist whether you want them to or not. Many of the default property and support consequences of marriage can be modified by a marriage contract. However, Ontario law does not permit spouses to use a marriage contract to limit the statutory rights relating to the matrimonial home under Part II of the Family Law Act. Without one, the Family Law Act’s default rules apply in full.
The Matrimonial Home Rules Kick In
Whatever home you’re living in together as a married couple becomes the matrimonial home. This triggers Ontario’s special rules: neither spouse can sell, mortgage, or rent out the home without the other’s consent. If a home owned before marriage is a matrimonial home at separation, the owner generally loses the usual right to deduct its marriage-date value when calculating net family property. This can substantially affect the equalization payment. And both spouses have an equal right to live there, regardless of title.
If you owned a condo worth $600,000 before the wedding and it is still the matrimonial home when you separate, you generally cannot deduct that $600,000 marriage-date value when calculating your net family property, which can significantly increase the equalization payment you owe. This is one of the most financially significant consequences of marriage in Ontario, and most couples don’t learn about it until they’re already in a divorce.
Spousal Support Obligations Become Possible
Before marriage, you have no legal obligation to support your partner financially (unless you’re in a common-law relationship that meets certain thresholds). The moment you’re married, the possibility of spousal support exists. If the marriage ends, either partner can claim support based on factors like income disparity, length of the marriage, roles during the marriage, and the economic advantage or disadvantage arising from the relationship.
A prenup can define spousal support terms in advance, giving both partners clarity about their obligations.
Tax Status Changes
Marriage changes your tax status immediately. You must report your marital status to the CRA, which affects your eligibility for certain credits and benefits. You can now claim the spousal amount tax credit if your spouse earns below the threshold. You can contribute to a spousal RRSP. And you can transfer certain unused credits between partners.
On the flip side, combined household income may affect eligibility for income-tested benefits like the Canada Child Benefit or GST/HST credit.
Insurance and Benefits
Most employer benefit plans allow you to add a spouse within a specified window after the wedding (typically 30 to 60 days). Health, dental, life insurance, and pension beneficiary designations should all be reviewed and updated. Missing the enrollment window can mean waiting until the next open enrollment period.
Why This All Matters for Your Prenup
Every one of these automatic changes can be addressed, modified, or planned for through a marriage contract. A prenup doesn’t prevent these legal effects from taking place, but it gives you control over how they play out. Without one, you’re accepting the full set of default rules that Ontario’s Family Law Act imposes on every married couple. To see how a marriage contract addresses these issues, visit How It Works.
Know what changes before you walk down the aisle. Start at I Do Prenup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does marriage automatically revoke my will in Ontario?
Not since January 1, 2022. Bill 245 repealed the automatic revocation rule. Your pre-existing will survives marriage, but you should still update it to reflect your new marital status and align it with your prenup.
Q: Does my spouse automatically own half my house when we marry?
Not exactly, but they gain an equal right to possession of the matrimonial home and the full value is included in equalization. A prenup can address how the home’s value is treated.
Q: Do I need to tell the CRA I got married?
Yes. You must update your marital status with the CRA, which affects your tax credits, benefits eligibility, and filing obligations.