Ye
Yes IRCC requested a divorce certificate for the reason that my ex husband do not have any documents on file when I pass the PR application.
Here in BC, the court registry was very helpful, they gave me a specific instructions on what and how to file it. Yes the initial filing will takes time.
the free legal counsel was also given by the staff.
In your case, it sounds like you were divorced already. In the case of the OP, the request relates to how to get a divorce.
You were fortunate to find helpful registry staff. As a lawyer, I have spent a lot of time in court registries in BC over the years, mostly in Vancouver. More times than I can remember I heard some non-lawyer in the line ahead of me being told by a staffer that they cannot give legal advice, including instructing on what forms to use. My point to the OP was don't worry about getting help. I expect Alberta to be much like BC. Here, there is a wealth of material online, from credible sources, giving detailed information about pursuing your own divorce. Those sources lead you to the forms, how to complete them, how to file them, etc. So, no need to rely on registry staff to hold one's hand through the process. I should add that the online help really relates only to very simple, uncontested divorces. They do not purport to address how to stickhandle your way through what might turn into a litigation extravaganza or minefield.
As well, in your case, again, my impression is that you were divorced already and all you were inquiring about was obtaining a divorce certificate. If that's all, then I would expect the registry staff to guide you since the procedure is simple and administrative in nature. No legal advice, or anything close, required. In BC, the Law Courts website shows how to get it and how to apply online.
I remain of the view that, if you phone in, or show up at the registry, saying you want to get a divorce, I would not expect registry staff to provide you with a course on Canadian divorce law, grounds, matters to consider in commencing petition proceedings, precise instructions on how to complete all the initial paperwork and describing your Form 8 (financial disclosure) documents, among divers other considerations.
And finally, let me ask, where was it that court staff offered "free legal counsel". Did they have lawyers on duty at the courthouse to sit down with you and handle everything? I do not think the Legal Aid Society of BC is so well funded as to take on all comers with family law issues. If kids are involved, that requires more consideration. Very surprising that registry staff or lawyers on deck would delve into all of that
pro bono. If the divorce becomes contested, do they represent you at trial gratis?