What Happens After Filing for Divorce in Alberta

You have filed your Statement of Claim at the Court of King's Bench Registry and paid the CA$310 filing fee. The clerk has stamped your documents with a file number. Now what?

Filing starts the process, but several steps remain before a justice signs your Divorce Judgment. Here is what happens next, in order.

Step 1: Ottawa Registration and Clearance

When you file, the court clerk transmits your case information to the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings in Ottawa. This federal registry checks all provinces for duplicate divorce actions between the same parties. Once confirmed, Ottawa issues a Clearance Certificate — your file cannot move to final judgment without it.

The clearance process typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. There is nothing you can do to speed it up, but you can use this time productively by completing service and the other pre-submission steps.

Step 2: Serve Your Spouse (Sole Applications)

If you filed a sole application (Form FL-01), you must arrange formal service of the Statement of Claim on your spouse. A third-party adult — a process server, friend, or any person who is not a party to the case — must hand-deliver the documents or send them by recorded mail.

Under Rule 12.57, the server must attach a clear photograph of your spouse to the Affidavit of Service and confirm they used it to verify identity. This catches many self-represented filers by surprise.

You have up to one year from filing to complete service. Do not wait — delays in service directly delay your entire timeline.

Joint applicants (Form FL-08) skip this step.

Step 3: Wait for the Response Window

After service, the clock starts on your spouse's response period:

• 20 days if served in Alberta
• 30 days if served elsewhere in Canada
• 60 days if served outside Canada

During this window, your spouse can file a Statement of Defence, a Demand for Notice, or do nothing.

Step 4: Note in Default (If No Response)

If the response window closes with no defence filed, you can file Form 14 (Noting in Default). This formally removes the other party's ability to participate in the proceedings without a judge's permission and locks the case onto the uncontested track.

If a defence is filed, your case becomes contested and follows a different path through the Family Focused Protocol — including mandatory alternative dispute resolution, settlement conferences, and potentially trial.

Step 5: Complete Mandatory Requirements

If there are children under 18, both parties must complete the Parenting After Separation (PAS) course — a free online seminar — and file the certificate of completion. Under the 2026 Family Focused Protocol, you must also complete alternative dispute resolution and submit comprehensive financial disclosure.

These can run in parallel with the service and response timeline. Do not leave them until after default — completing them early means your desk divorce package is ready to submit sooner.

Step 6: Compile and Submit the Desk Divorce Package

Once default is noted (or you are filing jointly), and the Clearance Certificate from Ottawa is in your court file, you compile the Desk Divorce Package:

• Request for Divorce (FL-21 or FL-22)
• Affidavit of Applicant (FL-23 or FL-24) — wet-ink signatures only
• Original Marriage Certificate
• Proposed Divorce Judgment (FL-25 or FL-26)
• Affidavit of Service with Rule 12.57 photo (sole applications)
• Child support worksheets and PAS certificates (if children)

Submit the complete package to the Registry. A clerk reviews it against the official checklist under the three-strike pilot program — three errors and the package is rejected.

Step 7: Justice Reviews and Signs

If the package passes the clerk review, a King's Bench Justice reviews the file in chambers. If the justice is satisfied that all Divorce Act requirements are met — including adequate child support arrangements for any children — they sign the Divorce Judgment. The signed judgment is mailed or emailed to both parties.

Step 8: The 31-Day Wait and Certificate of Divorce

The signed judgment does not dissolve the marriage immediately. A mandatory 31-day appeal period applies. On the 32nd day, either party can request a Certificate of Divorce — the final legal proof of dissolution.

Tracking Every Step

The Alberta Divorce Filing Process Guide includes a milestone tracker that covers every post-filing step — from the Ottawa clearance timeline to the response window, default eligibility, desk package submission, and the 31-day countdown.

See more Alberta guides →