The steps leading to divorce vary depending on your situation. If your spouse is putting you through intense abuse (whether physical or emotional) that has made cohabitation intolerable, you may be able to obtain divorce instantly. Keep in mind that proving adultery, physical and emotional abuse, and the impact it has had on you can be difficult as you must provide convincing circumstantial evidence.
On the other hand, if you and your spouse wish to get a divorce due to other reasons such as because you don’t love each other or can’t get along then you have to undergo the mandatory one-year separation. This may not necessarily mean living in separate houses as clearly stipulated in the Divorce Act.