What should you take if you leave your spouse?

If you've decided to leave your spouse, you should take certain important documents and belongings when you go:

  • Your financial information. For example:
    • your tax returns for at least the past three years
    • bank account, credit card, investment, and debt statements
    • copies of recent pay stubs
  • Your BC Services Card or CareCard (if it's not part of your driver's licence)
  • Your marriage certificate (if you're married)
  • Your passport and any immigration papers
  • Your Secure Certificate of Indian Status (secure status card) or Certificate of Indian Status (status card) (if you're a member of a First Nation)
  • Your medications and prescriptions
  • Your clothing and personal belongings
  • If you have children and you're taking them with you, their:
    • birth certificates
    • BC Services Cards or CareCards
    • passports
    • Secure Certificate of Indian Status (secure status card) or Certificate of Indian Status (status card) (if they're members of a First Nation)
    • medications and prescriptions
    • clothing and personal belongings

Try to bring:

  • Photocopies of information about any income and assets that are in your spouse's name only. For example, your spouse's:
    • pay stubs
    • tax returns
    • company records and ledgers
    • bank accounts
    • investments, TFSAs, and RRSPs
  • Details about your spouse's
    • Social Insurance Number
    • BC Services Card or CareCard number
    • date of birth

These details about your spouse might help later if:

  • you disagree about money and property, or
  • you lose contact with your spouse and need to find them.
In your situation involves abuse or family violence, see:
Updated on 13 September 2019