The Rule of 65 in Ontario family law comes from the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines and determines when spousal support should be indefinite. It applies in two situations: when a marriage lasts 20 years or more, or when the marriage is at least 5 years and the recipient’s age plus the years of marriage equals 65 or more. In these cases, no end date for support is set at the outset.
The rule reflects that long marriages or older spouses often lead to greater financial dependency, making it harder for the recipient to become self-sufficient after separation. While “indefinite” does not mean permanent, support continues until a major change—such as retirement, remarriage, or a significant shift in financial circumstances—justifies a review.