Ontario Lawyer · Remarriage in Ontario
Getting remarried in Ontario after a divorce outside Canada? Shaikh Law Firm can prepare your Foreign Divorce Opinion Letter.
A Foreign Divorce Opinion Letter is a formal legal document prepared and signed by a lawyer licensed to practise in Ontario. This legal opinion letter explains why your foreign divorce is legally valid and should be recognized under Ontario law for the purpose of remarriage.
Understanding Your Opinion Letter
A Foreign Divorce Opinion Letter is a formal legal opinion written and signed by an Ontario lawyer explaining why a divorce or annulment granted outside Canada should be recognized in Ontario. It forms part of the supporting documents required when applying for foreign divorce authorization before remarrying in Ontario.
Your lawyer reviews the foreign divorce documents and relevant circumstances, including where you and your former spouse lived before the divorce proceedings began, and sets out the legal reasons supporting recognition.
If you were divorced outside Canada and wish to remarry in Ontario, you must obtain foreign divorce authorization before a marriage licence can be issued. The legal opinion letter is one part of that application.
Official guidance: Ontario requirements for remarrying after a divorce outside Canada .
Check before you apply
Answer a few questions to see whether your foreign divorce fits our fixed-fee opinion letter service.
This tool gives general information only. It is not legal advice or an opinion on your divorce. Fixed fees apply to straightforward matters that meet our eligibility requirements and remain subject to lawyer review.
Documents & Preparation
To prepare your foreign divorce opinion letter, we need your divorce documents and information about your previous marriage and residency. The following documents also form part of the foreign divorce authorization package submitted to ServiceOntario.
Provide a completed marriage licence application signed by both people who intend to marry. Use your full legal names and complete mailing address, including any unit or apartment number.
Ontario marriage licence applicationProvide the documents establishing that your foreign divorce is final and effective. Include any related orders or certificates needed to understand the divorce. We will review your documents and advise whether further records or certified copies are required.
A separate Statement of Sole Responsibility is required for each foreign divorce. It must be signed by both people planning to marry and a witness. The form records the applicants’ acknowledgment of responsibility concerning the foreign divorce.
Download the Statement of Sole Responsibility Check the current Ontario formIf your divorce documents are not in English or French, include a translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator. Provide the foreign-language documents together with the translation so that both can be reviewed.
Government requirements: ServiceOntario guidance for divorces granted outside Canada .
Transparent Legal Fees
At Shaikh Law Firm, a standard foreign divorce opinion letter costs $299 + HST. Our rush legal opinion letter costs $360 + HST. Both options include lawyer consultation, document review and preparation of the opinion letter for eligible matters.
Standard Service
$299 + HST
Target preparation time: 48 hours after receipt of all required documents, information and payment, subject to lawyer review.
Rush Service
$360 + HST
Target preparation time: 24 hours after receipt of all required documents, information and payment, subject to availability and lawyer review.
Letter-only service: Submission of the foreign divorce authorization package, courier charges, translations and government or municipal fees are not included. You are responsible for submitting your completed package to ServiceOntario.
Eligibility: These fees apply to standard matters accepted following review. We do not accept files requiring reliance on a real and substantial connection as the basis for recognition. An opinion letter is issued only where the lawyer is satisfied that the facts and law support it.
Preparation time: These timeframes concern preparation of your lawyer’s letter. They exclude government review and delivery time. Missing documents or information may extend preparation time. Rush service does not expedite government authorization.
Recognition & Eligibility
A foreign divorce may be recognized in Canada where it meets the applicable legal requirements. One important basis is section 22(1) of the Divorce Act: a divorce granted by a competent authority is recognized for determining marital status where either former spouse was habitually resident in the country or subdivision of that authority for at least one year immediately before the divorce proceedings began.
To assess whether we can prepare your opinion letter, we will ask:
Legal reference: Divorce Act, section 22 — Recognition of foreign divorce .
Preparation & Processing Times
If you are seeking authorization to remarry in Ontario, allow time for both your lawyer’s opinion letter and the government’s review. ServiceOntario advises that processing the foreign divorce authorization documents can take up to four weeks.
Our standard target is 48 hours, with a 24-hour rush option subject to availability. Preparation time begins after we receive all required documents, information and payment, subject to lawyer review. Missing documents or questions requiring clarification may extend this timeframe.
You submit the completed authorization package to ServiceOntario’s Marriage Office. The government’s processing time is separate from our letter preparation time. Allow additional time for delivery and any requests for further information.
Once you receive your foreign divorce authorization, follow your municipality’s instructions for obtaining a marriage licence. The authorization itself is not a marriage licence.
Planning a wedding? Begin the process well in advance. Our rush service expedites preparation of the lawyer’s letter; it does not accelerate government processing or guarantee authorization by a particular date.
Official processing guidance: ServiceOntario — Before getting married .
Frequently Asked Questions
A sample can explain the format, but it cannot replace an individualized opinion written and signed by an Ontario lawyer. Your lawyer must review your documents and circumstances and give legal reasons why your foreign divorce should be recognized in Ontario.
ServiceOntario provides a process for requesting that a sample legal opinion letter be sent to your lawyer. A template completed and signed by an applicant does not satisfy the requirement for a lawyer’s opinion.
Your foreign divorce must be final, effective and recognized under the applicable law. You must also obtain Ontario’s foreign divorce authorization and satisfy the marriage licence requirements before remarrying in Ontario.
There is no single waiting period that can safely be applied to every foreign divorce. Your lawyer must check when your particular divorce became effective and whether any relevant restrictions remain. Allow time for document collection, letter preparation, delivery and government processing, which ServiceOntario advises can take up to four weeks.
The foreign divorce authorization process concerns divorces granted outside Canada. If your divorce was granted in another Canadian province or territory, follow Ontario’s proof-of-divorce requirements when applying for your marriage licence.
ServiceOntario requires a legal opinion letter from an Ontario lawyer, addressed to both people who intend to marry. A letter from a lawyer licensed only in another jurisdiction does not replace that requirement.
Your Ontario lawyer may request information or supporting material from foreign counsel where necessary.
Other legal grounds for recognizing a foreign divorce may need to be considered. Not meeting the one-year habitual-residence requirement does not, by itself, establish that your divorce is invalid in Canada.
Shaikh Law Firm’s standard service is intended for straightforward matters supported by the one-year habitual-residence basis, subject to review. We do not accept matters requiring reliance on a real and substantial connection as the basis for recognition.
No. Citizenship alone does not determine recognition. Your lawyer must assess the applicable recognition rules, your divorce documents and the relevant circumstances, including where either former spouse lived before the divorce proceedings began.
Both people who intend to marry and a witness sign the statement. Your former spouse is not the person required to sign it. A separate statement is required for each foreign divorce.
Provide the foreign divorce documents for both intended spouses and a Statement of Sole Responsibility for each foreign divorce. Tell us about all previous marriages and divorces so we can confirm the review required and provide a written quote.
Do not assume that the advertised fee covers multiple foreign divorces; the applicable scope and fee will be confirmed before you retain us.
If the documents are not in English or French, ServiceOntario requires a translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator. Provide the original-language documents together with the translation for review. Translation costs are not included in our letter preparation fee.
Yes. Shaikh Law Firm is headquartered in Mississauga and serves clients across Ontario, including Toronto, Ottawa, London and Windsor. Contact us to confirm appointment arrangements and how your identification and divorce documents must be provided for review.
Our standard legal opinion letter costs $299 + HST. Rush preparation costs $360 + HST, subject to availability. These fees apply to standard matters accepted following lawyer review.
Government submission, courier charges, translations and government or municipal fees are excluded. Review our fees, preparation times and service scope .
No. Rush service prioritizes preparation of your lawyer’s opinion letter. It does not accelerate ServiceOntario’s review or guarantee authorization by a particular date. Our preparation timeframe starts after receipt of all required documents, information and payment, subject to lawyer review.
Our letter-only service does not include submitting the package on your behalf. Check the current ServiceOntario submission instructions .
No. The letter gives the lawyer’s opinion and supports your authorization application. Government authorization and compliance with the remaining marriage requirements are separate steps. The opinion letter itself is neither government authorization nor a marriage licence.
Get Started · Ontario-Wide Service
Planning to remarry in Ontario after a divorce outside Canada? Tell us about your circumstances using the form below. Our team will review your inquiry and confirm eligibility, required documents, applicable legal fees and next steps.
Prefer to speak with our team? Call (905) 795-7757
Letter preparation only. Government submission, courier charges and translations are excluded. Rush service is subject to availability. Submitting an inquiry does not establish a solicitor-client relationship. Representation is subject to conflict checks, agreement on the terms of engagement and confirmation that our firm is acting for you. Please do not include confidential or sensitive documents in your initial inquiry.