Divorced outside Canada and planning to marry in Ontario? A lawyer will sign off and provide the legal opinion letter ServiceOntario needs, so you can get married again in Ontario. If your divorce order or marriage certificate isn’t in English, don’t worry: our certified translators can help. We even handle the shipping: your application goes to ServiceOntario by registered mail with tracking. A professional service from start to finish.
If either of you was divorced, or had a marriage annulled, outside Canada, Ontario has to be satisfied that the divorce is valid here before you can remarry. The opinion letter is written by an Ontario lawyer and addressed to both of you. It explains why your foreign divorce should be recognized in Ontario.
You send it to the ServiceOntario Marriage Office (Office of the Registrar General) with the rest of your application. Once they approve it, you can get your marriage licence.
Tell us where and when the divorce was granted. We’ll confirm what’s needed and send you a quote.
Send us the divorce decree, your marriage licence application and ID. If the decree isn’t in English or French, we can do the certified translation too.
A lawyer reviews your file, signs off and provides the opinion letter. We then send your complete application to the ServiceOntario Marriage Office by registered mail with tracking, so it arrives safely.
It has to be written and signed by a lawyer licensed in Ontario. A notary’s or paralegal’s letter isn’t accepted. We arrange it with an Ontario lawyer for you.
Not always. Recognition usually depends on things like where each spouse lived before the divorce was started, and how the divorce was granted. In many cases, one spouse had to live in that country for at least a year before the divorce was started. We’ll ask about your situation before you pay for the letter.
Don’t worry. ServiceOntario needs a certified translation, and our certified translators can prepare it together with your opinion letter, so everything is handled in one place.
No. We handle the shipping for you. Your complete application, including your original divorce decree, goes to the ServiceOntario Marriage Office by registered mail with tracking, so you know exactly where it is.
Once we have all your documents, the letter is usually ready within a few business days. ServiceOntario’s review then takes additional time, so start well before your wedding date.
Not necessarily. Much of the process can be done remotely. Original court documents may need to be dropped off or couriered, and we’ll tell you exactly what’s needed.
Canada Notary arranges this service. The legal opinion is provided by an Ontario lawyer. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Whether you’re searching for a foreign divorce opinion letter, a legal opinion letter for remarriage in Ontario, or help getting a marriage licence after a divorce outside Canada, it’s the same document: a lawyer’s opinion that your foreign divorce should be recognized in Ontario. We help clients divorced in India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United States, the UK, Iran, Nigeria, China, Mexico and many other countries.
Answer a few quick questions and our team will get back to you with a quote and the next steps.
ServiceOntario must approve your foreign divorce before you can get a marriage licence. Call us at 416-840-6952 or request a quote today.
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