Divorce Records in Ontario
Divorce files are usually filed at the county courthouse where the divorce hearing took place.
Are Ontario divorce records public?
All Canadian provinces, except for Quebec, presume that all civil and family litigation matters are public. There is a very high bar for restricting the public’s access to court files. However, section 137(2) of the Courts of Justice Act, allows a party to make an application to the court to seal the court file.
The test that parties must meet to have their court file sealed was outlined by the Supreme Court in R v Mentuck. In order to keep a court file private, one of the spouses must ask the court to restrict the openness of the court file and any court appearances. Before a court will restrict the public’s access, the court must determine that restricting access is necessary to prevent a serious risk to the administration of justice. If it is necessary, the court must find a balance between the salutary effects of restricting the public’s access and the deleterious effects on the rights of the parties. Where matters in the divorce proceedings may adversely affect the children, the Mentuck test is applied less rigorously, but court files are still rarely sealed in their entirety.
How do I find public divorce records?
The first step to find a divorce file is to know when the divorce took place. For divorces that occurred between 1987 to the present, the files are available only through the Superior Court of Justice courthouse where the divorce was filed.
Next, you will need the file number, the year of the divorce and the name of the county or district where the divorce took place. For divorces that occurred from 1968 to the present, you will need to contact the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings (CRDP) either by phone or by accessing their website and printing a search request and mailing it to them. When contacting the CRDP by phone, you should provide your full name at birth and your birth date as well as the name and birth date of your former spouse, the date of marriage and the approximate date of your divorce.
If you are looking for another person’s divorce file, you must use the indexes that are produced by the Supreme Court of Ontario to obtain the file number. Divorce files for 1986 and after are available only through the local courthouse where the divorce was filed.
How do I check the status of my divorce in Canada?
In order to check the status of your divorce you must contact the court that processed the divorce application. If you do not know which court this is, the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings can provide you with the address of the court and the reference number which you can give to court officials to help them find their file.
If you are contacting the Registry by phone, ensure that you have the full name and date of birth for both you and your former spouse and the date that you married.
For more information please visit out article about the availability of divorce records.
Meet Our Dedicated Team of Lawyers
Over a Century of Collective Experience
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Andrew Feldstein FounderRead BioAndrew Feldstein graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1992. Prior to focusing exclusively on family law, Andrew’s legal practice covered many different areas, including corporate commercial. One of Andrew’s fundamental objectives is to achieve those goals mutually and collaboratively, as set out by him and his client.
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Daphna Schwartz LawyerRead Bio
Daphna Schwartz joined Feldstein Family Law Group, P.C. in 2007 as an associate lawyer. She was previously practising family law in the Barrie area. Her practice includes all areas of divorce and family law, including custody and access, child support, spousal support, and property issues. Daphna is also qualified to practise Collaborative Family Law.
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Anna Troitschanski LawyerRead Bio
Anna Troitschanski joined the team at Feldstein Family Law Group, P.C. in 2012. Prior to that, she practised Family Law at a boutique Newmarket firm. Her experience covers all areas of divorce and family law, including custody and access, child support, spousal support, and division of property.
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Nick Slinko LawyerRead Bio
Nick Slinko attended York University from 2003 until 2007 where he majored in both Law & Society and Philosophy. Nick graduated in 2007 with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree. He proceeded to earn a Juris Doctor in Law at the University of Western Ontario in 2011. Nick was Called to the Bar in June of 2012 after completing his Articling term with the Feldstein Family Law Group, P.C. He became an associate with the firm immediately thereafter.
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Veronica Yeung LawyerRead Bio
Veronica Yeung joined the Feldstein Family Law Group, P.C. as a summer student in 2014 and returned as an articling student in 2015. Following her call to the Ontario Bar in June 2016, Veronica was welcomed to the team as an associate lawyer.
Veronica attended York University for her undergraduate studies and graduated as a member of the Dean’s Honour Roll when she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Honours Criminology.
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Shana Gordon-Katz LawyerRead Bio
Shana joined Feldstein Family Law Group P.C. as an articling student in 2017. Following her call to the Ontario Bar in June 2018, Shana was welcomed back to the firm as an associate. While completing her articles, Shana assisted with legal matters covering all areas of family law.
Shana attended the University of Western Ontario for her undergraduate studies, where she graduated as the gold medalist of her program, Honors Specialization in Classical Studies.
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Rachel Zweig LawyerRead Bio
Rachel joined Feldstein Family Law Group P.C as a Summer Student in 2019 and returned as an Articling Student in 2020-2021. Following her Call to the Ontario Bar in April 2021, Rachel was welcomed back to the firm as an Associate.
Prior to completing her legal studies and obtaining her Juris Doctor at the University of Ottawa, Rachel obtained her Bachelor’s Degree at Ryerson University with a major in English Literature.
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Lauren Harvey Associate LawyerRead Bio
Lauren joined Feldstein Family Law Group as a Summer Student in 2020 and returned as an Articling Student in 2021-2022. Following her Call to the Ontario Bar in April 2022, Lauren was welcomed back to the firm as an Associate.
Prior to completing her legal studies and obtaining her Juris Doctor at the University of Western Ontario, Lauren obtained her Honour’s Bachelor of Arts Degree at Wilfrid Laurier University majoring in Criminology and minoring in Law and Society.
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Quinn Held Associate LawyerRead Bio
Quinn spent two years as a Summer Student and then completed her Articling term at a boutique Family Law firm in Orangeville, where she was exposed to various complex Family Law matters. Following her Call to the Bar of Ontario in June 2022, she became an Associate with the Feldstein Family Law Group.
Prior to obtaining her Juris Doctor from the University of Windsor, Quinn obtained her Honour’s Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Guelph majoring in Criminal Justice and Public Policy and minoring in International Development.
