I regularly have clients that ask me about out of country divorce or foreign divorce requirements when they want to get married again here in Ontario. The City of Toronto outlines that if you were divorced outside of Canada, you will need to provide certain documents to prove that you are no longer married. The Ontario government needs to validate these documents.
One of the documents required and necessary to have a foreign divorce recognized here in Ontario, is a Legal Opinion Letter addressed to both people who plan to get married, giving reasons why the divorce or annulment should be recognized in Ontario. This opinion letter is required in order for a foreign divorce to be recognized here in Ontario. The divorce lawyer reviews the foreign divorce documents (which must be in certified translation) and provides an opinion as to whether the divorce is granted in accordance with our laws here in Canada.
Our office provides services to draft Legal Opinion Letters on foreign divorces.
Here are out of country divorce requirements when an individual wants to get married again here in Ontario:
You will need to send the following documents to Service Ontario:
- Marriage licence application: completed and signed
- Statement of Sole Responsibility: for each divorce (signed by both people who are planning to get married and a witness)
- Legal opinion letter: from an Ontario lawyer, addressed to both people who plan to get married, giving reasons why the divorce or annulment should be recognized in Ontario
- Divorce decree or annulment: an original or court-certified copy in English or French
- If the decree is in another language, you will need to include a translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator
Mailing address:
ServiceOntario
Marriage Office
PO Box 4600
189 Red River Road
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6L8
You can also contact the Marriage Office for a sample legal opinion letter.
For more information: contact the Marriage Office, Service Ontario at 1-800-461-2156 (toll-free) or visit their website
