Email Filing for Divorce in Nunavut: Practice Directive #18

Nunavut has 25 communities spread across 1.9 million square kilometres, but only one court registry — the Iqaluit Civil Registry at the Nunavut Justice Centre (Building 510). If you live in Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay, Arviat, or any community outside Iqaluit, travelling to the capital to file divorce papers in person is expensive and often impractical.

The solution is email filing. The Iqaluit Civil Registry accepts divorce documents by email, but with specific requirements under Practice Directive #18.

How Email Filing Works

Scan your completed, signed, and sworn documents as PDF files and send them to [email protected]. Each page must include the Practice Directive #18 endorsement — a statement confirming that the scanned document is a true and complete copy of the signed original.

The endorsement language must appear on every page of every document you submit. Without it, the registry will return your filing.

Fees for Email Filing

The standard court filing fee ($200 to $255) and the $10 federal registry fee still apply when filing by email. The Court Fees Regulations also prescribe an additional $1.00 per page for filings submitted by fax or email.

Payment is typically arranged by calling the registry at (867) 975-6102 or toll-free at 1-866-286-0546 and providing credit card details over the phone. Confirm with the clerk whether phone payment is available at the time you file — this procedure may change.

What You Can File by Email

All divorce-related documents can be filed electronically:

• Form 1 (Petition for Divorce) or Form 7 (Joint Petition)
• Form 2 (Notice to Respondent)
• Form 3 (Affidavit of Service)
• Form 8 (Financial Statement) and Form 9 (Statement of Property)
• Form 11 (Request for Divorce Without Oral Hearing)
• Form 12 or Form 13 (Affidavit of Applicant)
• Form 17 (Request for Certificate of Divorce)

All documents must still be physically signed and sworn before a Commissioner of Oaths before being scanned and emailed. The email filing is a submission method — it does not change the requirement that affidavits be properly sworn.

Finding a Commissioner of Oaths in Remote Communities

In smaller Nunavut communities without a lawyer or notary public, Commissioners of Oaths are available through the hamlet office, RCMP detachment, or health centre. Most hamlet offices have at least one staff member authorized to commission documents.

If no Commissioner of Oaths is available locally, contact the Iqaluit registry to ask about alternative arrangements.

Registry Contact Information

• Filing email: [email protected]
• Phone: (867) 975-6102 or toll-free 1-866-286-0546
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM (Eastern)
• Mailing address: Office of the Clerk, Nunavut Court of Justice, Box 297, Iqaluit, NU, X0A 0H0

The Nunavut Divorce Filing Process Guide includes the complete remote filing protocol with Practice Directive #18 endorsement templates and a document scanning checklist.

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