5. Apply to divide your pension, if needed

Ontario regulated plans

You have to tell the pension plan administrator if you wish to divide the pension, and how much of it you are dividing under your court order, arbitration award, or domestic contract.

When the plan administrator gives you the value of the pension, they also give you forms and instructions on how to ask them to divide the pension.

You can also read The Financial Services Commission of Ontario’s Family Law Forms page, which has the forms, a User Guide for each form, and Q&As for some of them forms. Either you or your common-law partner can apply to divide the pension, it doesn’t have to be the plan member.

The plan administrator has 60 days after receiving your complete application to divide and pay your share of the pension. They cannot charge a fee to do this.

Federal public service plans and federally regulated plans

There is no standard form. You should contact the pension plan administrator for the form you need to fill out to ask for a division.