What is an uncontested divorce in Ontario?

An uncontested divorce is one where both spouses agree on all the issues related to the end of their marriage — parenting arrangements, child support, spousal support, and property division — and neither spouse is asking the court to resolve any disputes. Because there is nothing to argue about, the court reviews the paperwork rather than holding a trial or contested hearing.

Uncontested divorces can proceed as a joint application (both spouses sign the application together) or as a sole application where the responding spouse simply does not dispute anything and chooses not to file a response. In either case, the court processes the matter on a paper-review basis, which is typically faster and far less expensive than a contested divorce.

To qualify as truly uncontested, your separation agreement (or other documentation) should have already resolved property division, support, and parenting. If any of those issues resurface during the divorce process, the matter may become contested and require additional steps. The simpler and more complete your paperwork, the smoother the uncontested process goes.