In situations where spouses have debts in common it is possible (and often advantageous) for spouses to file a joint Consumer Proposal together to manage family financial issues.
It is not a requirement for all debts being consolidated in the joint Consumer Proposal to be jointly held, but there should be some substantial level of commonality/shared liability for the debts (i.e. at least some debts are in both peoples’ names).
If both spouses have unmanageable debts but few (or no) debts in common, then separate solutions to resolve the financial issues may be more appropriate.
A Licensed Insolvency Trustee can help you and your spouse assess your financial situation and work with you to evaluate all of the options that can address both individual debts and joint debts that may be causing financial stress to you and your family.