Against the Grain

If this section applies to you, read it thoroughly and carefully. The contents of this section apply to Ontario, Canada ONLY. Other jurisdictions/provinces may have other requirements.

Basically, if you have been married before, and are now divorced, a Canadian lawyer must review your divorce and determine if it is legal and if you are eligible to remarry (hey, I don’t make the rules, I just report them).

You must submit the following items to

1. A completed marriage license application signed by both applicants.
2. A copy of the decree of divorce or annulment (certified by the proper court officer in the jurisdiction the divorce/annulment was granted) or sealed by the court. If the decree is in a language other than English or French, include a certified translation.
3. A statement of Sole Responsibility for each divorce signed by both applicants. Blank affidavits are available from the issuer of Marriage Licences.
4. A legal opinion of an Ontario lawyer, addressed to both applicants, giving reasons why the divorce or annulment should be recognized in the Province of Ontario.

There is a lawyer referral service, which charges a $6 Canadian fee here. However, we went through Jaluvka & Sauer — specifically, Edwin A. Sauer. They can be reached for information at easauer@cogeco.net. This legal service cost me $300 Canadian and took just about 6 weeks to accomplish, once we got all the information to him and he issued a letter. He was kind enough to send it on to the Registrar General for us, along with all the other paperwork that was required. Once he got it back, he sent everything over to the City Hall for us so we didn’t have to retrieve it from him or risk it getting lost in the mail. Mr. Sauer was truly a blessing!

If you require further clarifications please contact:

Lydia Picca – Vital Statistics Licensing Clerk
By Phone: 905-356-7521 ext. 4283
By Fax: 905-356-9083
E-Mail: lpicca@niagarafalls.ca

City of Niagara Falls
4310 Queen Street, Box 1023
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Canada L2E 6X5