If you want to marry in Ontario and were previously divorced outside Canada, you must contact a lawyer for a foreign divorce opinion letter. 

You must submit a foreign divorce opinion letter along with your application for marriage. Failing to submit a foreign divorce opinion letter to the government prior to getting married could jeopardize your application for marriage, leading to a denial of your marriage certificate.

Eligibility Requirements:

To be eligible for this offer you must meet all of the following requirements:

• You will be required to provide us with a written statement from the divorced individual confirming that either they or their former spouse were living in the jurisdiction (state of province) that granted the divorce for at least 1 year immediately before the application for divorce was submitted.
• One of the persons named in the divorce is the person hiring our law firm;
• You must also provide us with the following:
  • Sign our retainer agreement;
  • A notarized copy of the divorce decree OR the original court stamped copy of the divorce decree; (A photocopy or scan will be rejected. If the decree is not in English, you will need to include a translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator);
  • An Application for Marriage (completed by both parties intending to marry);
  • A Statement of Sole Responsibility (signed by both of the parties intending to marry); &
  • Two pieces of ID of yourself.

We provide legal opinion letters giving reasons why your divorce or annulment should be recognized in Ontario. You can then submit that legal opinion letter to Service Ontario along with your other documentation to obtain your marriage licence. 

Getting a Foreign Divorce Opinion Letter with Eethar Ismail Law PC is easy and inexpensive. Call us today to book an appointment or get information.  You may also get started by completing our form here. We will then get in touch with you with further instructions.