Alberta Divorce Forms: Which Forms You Need and When to File Them

Alberta's Court of King's Bench uses a specific set of FL-numbered forms for divorce proceedings. The forms are available as free fillable PDFs from the court's website, but the court provides no step-by-step guide explaining which forms apply to your situation, what order to file them in, or how to avoid the clerical errors that trigger rejection.

Here is every form you are likely to need, organized by when it enters the process.

Starting Your Divorce: The Commencement Forms

Form FL-01 — Statement of Claim for Divorce. This is the standard form for a sole applicant (one spouse filing against the other). It names both parties, states the grounds for divorce, and outlines what orders you are requesting (parenting, support). Filing fee: CA$310.

Form FL-03 — Statement of Claim for Divorce and Division of Family Property. Use this instead of FL-01 if you are also asking the court to divide assets under the Family Property Act. Same CA$310 filing fee.

Form FL-08 — Joint Statement of Claim for Divorce. For couples filing together. Both spouses sign the initial documents, which eliminates the need for formal service. Only available when the ground is one-year separation (not adultery or cruelty).

Service and Response Forms

Affidavit of Service. After filing a sole application, you must serve the Statement of Claim on the other spouse. The person who serves the papers files this sworn affidavit confirming delivery. Under Rule 12.57, a clear photograph of the person served must be attached.

Form FL-04 — Statement of Defence. If the other spouse disputes your claims, they file this within 20 days (if served in Alberta), 30 days (elsewhere in Canada), or 60 days (outside Canada). Filing fee: CA$100.

Form FL-07 — Counterclaim. Filed alongside the Statement of Defence if the respondent wants to make their own claims. Filing fee: CA$200 (on top of the CA$100 defence fee).

Form 14 — Noting in Default. If the other spouse does not respond within the deadline, you file this form to formally shut them out of the proceedings and proceed uncontested.

The Desk Divorce Package Forms

Once the case is uncontested (either through default or joint filing), you compile the Desk Divorce Package:

Form FL-21 — Request for Divorce (sole applicant). Formally asks the court to grant the divorce based on the uncontested record. Joint applicants use Form FL-22 instead.

Form FL-23 — Affidavit of Applicant (sole applicant). A sworn statement confirming the facts in your Statement of Claim — marriage date, separation date, children, support arrangements. Joint applicants use Form FL-24. This affidavit must have a wet-ink signature — electronic signatures are not accepted.

Form FL-25 — Proposed Divorce Judgment (sole applicant). The actual order you want the justice to sign. Joint applicants use Form FL-26. If children under 18 are involved, attach child support worksheets.

You also include the original Marriage Certificate and, if applicable, your Parenting After Separation course certificates.

Common Errors That Get Forms Rejected

The Court of King's Bench operates a three-strike pilot program for desk divorce packages. A clerk reviews your submission against a detailed checklist. If they find a third error, they immediately stop reviewing and reject the entire package — sending you to the back of the processing queue.

The most frequent rejection triggers:

• Name mismatches — "Jonathon Smyth" on the Statement of Claim but "Jonathan Smith" on the Marriage Certificate. Every name must match exactly across all documents.
• Electronic signatures on affidavits — FL-23 and FL-24 require wet-ink signatures sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths.
• Expired PAS certificates — The Parenting After Separation course certificate is valid for two years. If it has expired by the time you submit the desk package, the clerk rejects it.
• Unmarked exhibits — When attaching the Marriage Certificate or Separation Agreement to your affidavit, the Commissioner for Oaths must stamp and sign the exhibit backing sheet.

Getting the Sequence Right

The Alberta Divorce Filing Process Guide includes a form-by-form walkthrough that matches the official Clerk Review Checklist, plus worksheets for tracking which forms you have completed, which still need signatures, and which supporting documents are required for your specific situation.

See more Alberta guides →