Post-Divorce Checklist for Prince Edward Island

The Supreme Court grants your divorce, and then nothing happens automatically. No agency updates your name. No bank closes your joint accounts. No institution removes your ex-spouse as your life insurance beneficiary. Every single administrative change requires you to initiate it — in the correct order, with the correct documents, at the correct office.

Here's the complete sequence for Prince Edward Island.

Phase 1: The 31-Day Appeal Period (Days 1–31)

Your marriage isn't legally dissolved yet. The Divorce Judgment (Form 70S) has been signed, but you must wait 31 days before requesting the Certificate of Divorce.

What you can do now:

• Notify CRA of your marital status change (required by end of the following month) using Form RC65 or CRA My Account
• Draft your new will and Powers of Attorney (don't execute until Day 32)
• Get pre-approved for a mortgage refinance or spousal buyout if you're keeping the home
• Pull credit reports from Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada to identify all joint accounts

Phase 2: Secure the Certificate of Divorce (Day 32)

Submit Form 70U (Requisition for Certificate of Divorce) to the Supreme Court registry where your divorce was filed. Cost: $25. Order three to five certified copies ($10–$20 each) — you'll need them simultaneously at multiple agencies.

Phase 3: Name and Identity Updates (Days 32–60)

Complete these in order — each subsequent step requires the previous one:

1. Service Canada — SIN update (free, 5 business days online or same-day in person)
2. Access PEI — Driver's Licence ($20, in person at Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague, or O'Leary)
3. Health PEI — Health Card (free, in person or by mail to Montague)
4. Passport Canada — New passport ($160, 10–20 business days)

Phase 4: Financial Separation (Days 32–90)

• Close or restructure joint bank accounts (both signatures required)
• Remove ex-spouse as authorized user on credit cards
• Complete mortgage refinance, assumption, or spousal buyout (CMHC program allows up to 95% LTV)
• Separate joint auto, home, and health insurance into individual policies
• Transfer vehicle registration (Notification of Transfer form, within 7 days of execution)

Phase 5: Retirement and Pension Division

• CPP credit split: Submit Form ISP-1901 to Service Canada (mandatory — cannot be waived by agreement in PEI)
• RRSP/TFSA transfers: Execute direct transfers using CRA Form T2220 (tax-free under a separation agreement)
• Employer pensions: PEI has no legislated pension-splitting scheme. Division requires an independent actuarial valuation ($2,000–$5,000) and is negotiated case-by-case under the Family Law Act

Phase 6: Estate Planning (Days 32–90)

• Execute new will — PEI's Wills Act automatically revokes gifts to an ex-spouse after divorce, but does NOT redirect them. Without a new will, assets may pass under intestacy rules.
• Update beneficiary designations — The Wills Act does NOT apply to RRSP, TFSA, RRIF, or life insurance beneficiaries. You must contact each institution directly.
• Revoke Powers of Attorney — Divorce does NOT terminate a POA naming your ex-spouse in PEI. You must execute a written revocation.
• Sever joint tenancy — Register a severance at the PEI Land Registry Office to prevent your ex from inheriting the property by survivorship.

Phase 7: Children's Records

• Update school emergency contacts and pick-up authorizations
• Provide school administration with a copy of the parenting order
• Update children's Health PEI cards if custody arrangement affects coverage

The Cost of Getting the Order Wrong

Submitting a passport application before your SIN is updated results in a rejected application and lost processing time. Failing to update beneficiary designations means your ex-spouse could inherit your entire RRSP tax-free if something happens to you — while your estate pays the income tax bill.

The Prince Edward Island After-Divorce Checklist provides a chronological tracker with every task, deadline, form number, and agency contact, so nothing falls through the cracks.

See more Prince Edward Island guides →