These FAQs are provided by the Canadian Legal FAQs, a website of the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta.
Divorce is the legal end to a marriage. Separation is the decision by spouses to live apart with the intention of ending the relationship.
Significant changes are coming to the Divorce Act on March 1, 2021. Check CPLEA's publications page for updated resources on family law.
CPLEA resources for divorce and separation:
All CPLEA family law publications: www.cplea.ca/publications/family
These online FAQs are provided by Canadian Legal FAQs, a website of the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta. These FAQs deal with divorce and provide information regarding: Divorce Act; Grounds for Divorce; Children and Divorce; Custody; Access; Child Support; and Mobility Rights.
You may obtain the Alberta Divorce Kit which contains the forms required, plus information on how to get the process started from most stationary stores and also the King's Printer Bookstore located in Edmonton and Calgary. Note: The item must be ordered; it cannot be downloaded.. The kit contains all the information required to obtain an uncontested divorce in Alberta. It includes a step by-step guide, plus all the necessary forms specific to the laws of Alberta. All the required forms are included on a CD-Rom. You can use this kit to process an uncontested divorce if at least one spouse has resided in Alberta for the last year; and there are no disputes over child custody, property, or spousal support.
Sometimes married couples and common-law spouses may want to consider a separation agreement when their relationship ends. An agreement will help outline:
- Division of Property
- Spousal Support
- Understanding Assets and Liabilities
- Custody and Guardianship
- Child Support
This checklist and information sheet covers many of the topics that you may want to include in your separation agreement. The checklist is a publication of the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta and forms part of their Families and the Law Series.
Alberta Resources
This group of programs and services is offered by Alberta Justice in collaboration with the courts of Alberta. This webpage provides general information for those who are representing themselves in a family matter in either Court of King's Bench or The Provincial Court of Alberta.
This service is for people who don’t have a lawyer. Use it to:
- prepare for court
- navigate your family law matter through the Provincial Court
- discuss your issues, explore your options and get you referrals
- get a court order prepared and filed with the Court of King’s Bench and then have copies sent to the other party – after a parenting-related hearing
- review your divorce before its submitted to the Court of King’s Bench
A series of videos that gives instructions to complete and file the paperwork required to get a divorce in Alberta.
Calgary Counselling Centre is a charitable organization committed to providing compassionate, professional, and affordable counselling services to Calgarians. They offer counselling and group programs for individuals, couples, parents, families, and youth to help them resolve emotional and social problems. In addition to its may group and individual program services the Centre also offers a Male Domestic Abuse Outreach Program which provides counselling, advocacy, social service referrals (housing, financial aid, legal guidance, support) to men and their families experiencing domestic abuse of all forms.
This resource is from the Student Legal Services and includes information about; Your Legal Name; Changing Your Own Name (including getting married or Adult Interdependent Relationship); Naming Your Child; and Changing Your Child's Name and Referral Numbers (related to changing your name). This resource is also available to downloaded as a PDF.
Services and information are available for couples divorcing or separating – before, during and after. These links are provided by the Government of Alberta and are intended for those who are considering or are going through divorce or separating. There are links related to: Mediation; Finding a Lawyer; Finding Your Own Legal Information; Filing for Divorce; Ordering a Divorce Certificate; Changing Your Name; Changing Your Address; Child Support; Government Financial Assistance Programs; Custody and Access; Counselling and Assistance; and Family Violence Help and Prevention Resources.
This Alberta Court's page provides access to forms and instructions to complete an uncontested divorce. An uncontested divorce is one where custody, access (parenting) and support have been settled. The forms do not deal with property division.
If you need assistance court forms information coordinators are available to assist with locating court forms and providing information on when to use them and how to fill them out. Further information on this service and locations can be found on the Resolution and Court Administration Services (RCAS) website.
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