Simple divorce in Ontario - what it means

A simple divorce is the Ontario court term for a divorce application that asks for only the divorce — no claims for parenting, support, or property attached. It is the cheapest, lowest-conflict, most paperwork-only route to end a marriage. The reason it stays simple is everything else has already been settled, usually in a separation agreement signed before the divorce application is filed.

Ontario's Family Law Rules give a simple divorce its own form (Form 8A) and its own processing track at the Superior Court of Justice. One spouse files, serves the other, waits the response period, and asks the court for the divorce order. Total court fees are about $670. Most simple divorces finish in four to six months from filing (ontario.ca/document/guide-procedures-family-court).

When this does apply

A simple divorce fits when everything other than the divorce itself has already been resolved. You have a written separation agreement covering parenting, child support, spousal support, and property. You have been separated for at least one year by the time the court grants the divorce. There is nothing for the court to decide except the legal end of the marriage. In that situation, the application asks only for the divorce — no parenting orders, no support orders, no property claims attached — which is what makes it a simple divorce rather than a general application. If the other spouse does not file an Answer, the file becomes uncontested and runs through on paper. See the uncontested divorce route for the response-window mechanics.

When this doesn't apply

A simple divorce does not work if there is anything still in dispute. The moment you add a claim — parenting time, support amounts, the matrimonial home, division of property — the application becomes a general application under Form 8, not a simple divorce under Form 8A. The processing track changes, the timeline extends, and the costs jump.

Aspect	Simple divorce (Form 8A)	General application (Form 8)
Claims attached	Divorce only	Parenting, support, property too
Processing track	Paper track	Full contested track
Timeline	4–6 months	Longer, costs jump

Filing a simple divorce while important issues are unresolved is also risky: once the divorce is granted, you lose certain rights (notably the limitation period for claiming an equalization of net family property runs out two years from the divorce — or six years from separation if that comes first). Settle those issues first — in writing — then file the simple divorce. See contested vs uncontested divorce for the distinction.

What to do

Get the separation agreement signed first. Each of you takes Independent Legal Advice before signing — one hour per side, far cheaper than a contested file later. Then file the simple divorce: Form 8A, marriage certificate attached, child support documented at the Federal Child Support Tables amount if there are children of the marriage (under 18, or older and still dependent), and the filing fee paid. If your spouse will not contest, the rest of the process is paper. The Ontario courts process simple divorces on a paper track precisely because that is what they are built for.

See your specific Ontario plan at cairnguide.ca/signup.