The Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) added in November two databases about divorces in the province. In these database, researchers can find a divorce and a former spouse’s first and last name.
The first database, Dossiers et jugements de divorce des districts judiciaires de Québec, de Beauce, de Charlevoix, de Montmagny et de Thetford Mines, 1968-1987, is an index of divorce cases and judgements heard in Quebec City, Beauce, Charlevoix, Montmagny and Thetford Mines, from 1968 to 1987.
In this database, there are 38,181 references to divorces in the database, along with 70,139 names.
The second database, Liste des jugements irrévocables, conditionnels et requêtes en divorce des districts judiciaires de la région de Montréal, is an index of divorce cases and judgements heard in the very large Montreal region during varying time periods:
- Montreal (1968-1974)
- Cowansville (1974-1985)
- Granby (1976-1983)
- Joliette (1974-1985)
- Mont-Laurier (1975-1983)
- Sorel (1974-1986)
- St-Hyacinthe (1974-1986)
- St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu (1974-1985)
- St-Jérôme (1974-1985)
- Valleyfield (1974-1986)
Search tip
Enter a surname in the Nom field and, if necessary, a first name in the Prénom field.
Requesting a document
To obtain a copy of a document about a divorce or separation, you must complete and submit the divorce request form, which is available in French. To translate it into English, copy and paste the form’s URL into Google Translate or, if using Chrome as your browser, right-click on your mouse, and then click on Translate to English in the pop-up dropdown menu.
For a divorce that took place from June 1986 to today, you must contact the court in the judicial district where the case was heard.
History of divorces in Canada
From 1840 to 1968, many divorces in Canada were granted by private acts of the Parliament of Canada.
In some provinces, a person who wanted a divorce was required to place a notice of intent to petition the federal government for an Act of Divorce in the Canada Gazette and in two newspapers in the district or county where the petitioner resided. It was to appear for a six-month period.
In 1968, provinces were given the legislative jurisdiction over marriage and divorce.
At first in Quebec, only courts in Montreal and Quebec City heard divorce cases. By 1974, however, there were so many cases that other judicial districts started hearing cases.
Following an agreement with the Quebec Ministère de la Justice, judicial archives including the files, the docket books, and the divorce judgments are deposited after 30 years in the BAnQ centre where the judicial district that heard the case is located.
Pre-1968 database
Library and Archives Canada’s searchable database of divorces contains 12,732 references to acts of divorce published in Government of Canada publications between 1841 and 1968.
When did the first divorce take place in Canada?
The first divorce in Canada took place in 1841 between John Stuart and Elizabeth Van Reneselaer Powell. But the very high cost of the process made it inaccessible to the majority of the population. Also, the Catholic Church strongly opposed divorce. These two reasons explain why there were only four divorces in Quebec between 1852 and 1886.
D-I-V-O-R-C-E
While searching through these databases, you may find yourself humming Tammy Wynette’s classic song, D-I-V-O-R-C-E.
