Both spouses' consent is required to refinance or transfer the home even if only one name is on title, because The Homesteads Act, 1989 protects the family residence regardless of whose name appears on the deed, so a lawyer confirms that consent before any new mortgage is registered.
Sale proceeds or a buyout payment are typically routed through the conveyancing lawyer's trust account rather than passed directly between spouses, and the separation agreement or a court order under the Court of King's Bench usually sets out exactly how the number was calculated.
An accurate value for the home is the number the whole agreement rests on, which is exactly where a generic online estimate falls short. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.