Checklists

Print them. Write on them.

Five checklists for the moments where the problem is not knowing the law, it is knowing what to gather and in what order. Read any of them here in the browser, or take the PDF. No email address, no sign-up.

Corporate Law01

What do I actually have to file, register, and pay to start a business in Ontario?

Every registration, number, and deadline a new Ontario business has to clear, in the order they come up.

  • Choosing between a sole proprietorship, a partnership, and a corporation
  • Searching and registering the business name, and the five-year expiry nobody diarises
  • The business number and the CRA program accounts that hang off it
  • The $30,000 HST threshold and the trap in when the obligation starts
  • Licences, zoning, and the WSIB registration due ten days after your first hire
Download the PDF6 pages420 KB
All practice areas02

What should I bring so the first meeting with a lawyer is not wasted?

What to gather and what to write down before you meet a lawyer, with a section for each practice area.

  • The documents to gather before you book, by practice area
  • How to write the timeline of events a lawyer will ask for
  • The questions worth asking about fees, timelines, and who does the work
  • What to bring if someone has already sued you, or you have been charged
Download the PDF5 pages389 KB
Family Law03

My relationship has ended. What do I need to do in the first few weeks?

The documents, the financial disclosure, and the immediate steps that matter in the first weeks after a separation.

  • The date of separation, and why it starts several clocks at once
  • The financial disclosure both sides will have to give
  • Documents to copy now, while you still have access to them
  • Parenting arrangements, and what to avoid doing before advice
Download the PDF8 pages411 KB
Immigration04

What does IRCC want to see when I sponsor my spouse or partner?

What IRCC asks for when you sponsor a spouse or partner, and the proof that carries the most weight.

  • The forms in a spousal sponsorship application, and who signs what
  • Proof of relationship, and the kinds that carry the most weight
  • Identity, status, and police documents for both people
  • The financial evidence a sponsor has to provide
Download the PDF6 pages417 KB
Corporate Law05

What does my corporation owe every year to stay in good standing?

The filings an Ontario corporation owes every year, what each one is for, and what happens if it slips.

  • The T2 return, the tax balance, and instalments
  • GST/HST filing on whichever period CRA assigned you
  • The Ontario annual return, and the federal one if you incorporated federally
  • Annual resolutions, the minute book, and the 15-day notice of change
Download the PDF7 pages423 KB

These are ours to give away because the hard part was never the list. If you have worked through one and want to know what it means for your situation, book a consultation. Bring the checklist with you, filled in.

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