NWT Divorce Forms: Which Forms You Need and How to Use Them

The Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories provides all divorce forms as free PDF downloads on its website. The forms themselves cost nothing — but they come with no instructions, no filing sequence, and no guidance on what the registry clerk expects to see in each field.

Here is every form you may need for an NWT divorce, what it does, and when to file it.

The Core Filing Forms

Form 2: Petition for Divorce (Sole)

Used when one spouse files alone. The petitioner fills out the form, files it at the registry, and then must serve it on the respondent through a third-party adult.

Form 2 requires:

• Full names and addresses of both spouses
• Date and place of marriage
• Date of separation
• Grounds for divorce (almost always the one-year separation)
• Details of any children: names, ages, current living arrangements
• Claims for child support, spousal support, or property division
• Attach the original marriage certificate

Form 5: Joint Petition for Divorce

Used when both spouses file together as co-petitioners. No service is required because both parties sign the form.

Form 5 contains largely the same information as Form 2 but is structured for two signatories. Both spouses must agree on the grounds for divorce and the corollary relief requested (support, property, parenting).

Form 3: Answer

Filed by the respondent within 25 days of being served (or 30 days if served outside NWT but within Canada). The Answer disputes some or all of the petitioner's claims. Filing costs $400 and makes the case contested.

Form 4: Counter Petition

Filed alongside the Answer when the respondent wants to make their own claims — for example, requesting a different property division, seeking spousal support, or proposing a different parenting arrangement. The Counter Petition raises new issues beyond what the original petition addressed.

Form 6: Affidavit of the Applicant

The central evidence document in a desk divorce. Sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths, this affidavit details the facts of the marriage, the separation, child support arrangements (with Federal Child Support Guideline calculations), parenting plans, and property settlement.

The judge reviews Form 6 as the primary basis for granting or denying the divorce judgment. If the affidavit is incomplete — especially regarding child support compliance — the application is rejected and sent back for revision.

Demand of Notice (also called Form 6 in some references)

Filed by a respondent who does not contest the divorce but wants to continue receiving copies of all court documents and notices of future applications.

Supporting Documents

Beyond the numbered forms, a complete NWT divorce filing typically requires:

• Affidavit of Service: Sworn by the process server after delivering Form 2 to the respondent. Must include a photograph of the respondent.
• Direction to Note in Default: Filed when the respondent does not answer within the deadline.
• Request for Clearance Certificate: Triggers Ottawa's Central Registry check for duplicate proceedings.
• Request for Divorce Judgment (Without Oral Hearing): The formal application for a desk divorce.
• Draft Divorce Judgment: A proposed order for the judge to sign.
• Original Marriage Certificate: Required at filing. If the marriage occurred outside Canada and a certificate cannot be obtained, a detailed explanation of the marriage circumstances is needed.

Where to Download

All forms are available for free at the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories website (nwtcourts.ca) under the forms section. The forms are PDF documents — print them, fill them in by hand or type into the fields, and file physical copies at the registry in Yellowknife, Hay River, or Inuvik.

The NWT does not currently support electronic filing for family law matters. Every document must be physically delivered to the registry counter.

Filing Sequence Matters

The forms must be filed in a specific order, and certain forms can only be submitted after prerequisites are met. For example, the Request for Divorce Judgment cannot be filed until the Clearance Certificate has been received from Ottawa. The Affidavit of Service must be filed before a Direction to Note in Default.

The Northwest Territories Divorce Filing Process Guide maps the complete filing sequence — which form goes first, what must be attached, and what triggers the next step — so you do not file out of order and lose weeks waiting for a rejection notice.

See more Northwest Territories guides →