CTV Your Morning: Living Together After Divorce - Featuring Alyssa Bach, Shulman & Partners

Living together after a relationship ends has become more common as the pandemic’s ripple effects and a heated housing market make it harder for separating couples to secure two affordable homes. In a CTV Your Morning interview, Alyssa Bach, Associate Lawyer at Shulman & Partners LLP, discussed why separation under the same roof can create legal complications even when both spouses agree the relationship is over. She explained that the practical reality of staying put, whether due to rent costs, limited inventory, or timing, can blur key milestones in a family law file. Her comments focus on how families can protect clarity, privacy, and planning during an already stressful transition, while working toward the goal of living separately.

“You also want to make sure that you’re maintaining your privacy and respecting the privacy of your spouse, especially when it’s coming to conversations with your lawyers, legal documents, and just ensuring that level of confidentiality.”
— Alyssa Bach, Associate Lawyer, Shulman & Partners LLP

In the interview, Alyssa explained that more separating couples are continuing to share a home for longer periods than they might have in the past. Historically, it was common for spouses to remain under the same roof for a short time while sorting out finances and finding new housing. Now, with higher rents, fewer options, and rapid changes in home prices, many families feel stuck in place, which can intensify both emotional and legal pressure.

Alyssa highlighted that one of the most important legal challenges is establishing the date of separation. For married couples, this date matters because it can affect how assets are valued and what each person may be entitled to. When spouses keep living together, it can become harder to pinpoint when the separation actually occurred. In a fast-moving market, even a short disagreement about timing can have real consequences, especially when a major asset like the home increases in value quickly. Alyssa noted that this issue can be even more complicated if the home is registered in only one spouse’s name, because the separation date can become central to evaluating the other spouse’s entitlement.

She also shared practical guidance for couples who are separated but still sharing a residence. One theme was clarity: work toward a separation agreement, or at minimum ensure the separation date is clearly communicated so both people understand they are on the same page. Another theme was privacy and boundaries. Alyssa emphasized the importance of respecting each other’s confidentiality, particularly around conversations with lawyers and access to legal documents, so that the process does not become more adversarial than it needs to be.

Finally, she underscored the value of planning and support. Building a realistic plan for moving into separate homes, and bringing in the right resources, such as a financial advisor to understand what is affordable, can help reduce uncertainty. Throughout the interview, her focus was on making sure people understand both their rights and their obligations, including how property, support, and childcare responsibilities can be affected during separation. The goal is to reduce conflict where possible and help families move forward with better information and fewer surprises.