Home Northwest Territories Uncontested Divorce Kit
2026 edition • Built on the NWT Supreme Court Divorce RulesNorthwest Territories Uncontested Divorce Kit
The Supreme Court forms and plain-English instructions to prepare a Northwest Territories uncontested divorce yourself — matched to whether you file jointly or alone.
- Route-matched forms — Joint Petition or sole Petition for Divorce
- Step-by-step filing instructions, in plain English
- Free eligibility check before you pay anything
- Instant PDF download — $129 one-time, no subscription
Takes 2 minutes to check · no commitment
“The instructions were clear about which form to use and what to file at each stage. I never felt lost.”
Freya H. · Hay River, Northwest Territories
Do you qualify for an uncontested divorce in the Northwest Territories?
The affidavit-evidence route works when your divorce is genuinely uncontested and your parenting, support and property issues are already settled.
This kit fits if…
- ✓ You or your spouse has been ordinarily (habitually) resident in the Northwest Territories for at least the one year immediately before the divorce proceeding starts. (This is a jurisdiction condition — separate from the one-year separation ground.)
- ✓ You are relying on one year’s separation. You can file before the year is up, but a judge cannot grant the divorce on this ground until a full year of living separate and apart has passed. Reconciliation attempts totalling no more than 90 days do not restart the clock. (Adultery and cruelty are also grounds under the Divorce Act, but they need different evidence and case-specific legal advice.)
- ✓ Your spouse will co-operate: you file a Joint Petition for Divorce together, or you file a sole Petition, serve your spouse, and they do not dispute it.
- ✓ Parenting, contact and support are fully agreed or already ordered, and any child support meets the Federal Child Support Guidelines — the court must be satisfied reasonable child-support arrangements are in place before it grants a divorce.
- ✓ You understand that property, pension and debt division is a separate claim — decided by equalization of family property under the NWT Family Law Act, with its own property statement (Form 9) or a Corollary Relief Order.
Talk to a lawyer first if…
- ✗ Neither spouse has been ordinarily resident in the Northwest Territories for a full year yet.
- ✗ Your spouse is contesting the divorce, will not communicate, or cannot be located.
- ✗ Parenting, contact or the child-support amount is not fully settled, or you want a support amount that differs from the guideline table.
- ✗ There is family violence or coercion, a child-protection or criminal matter, or you need an emergency protection order.
- ✗ You have a pension to divide, a company or real estate to split, significant debt, a bankruptcy, existing court orders, or a cross-border element.
Joint or sole — which route is yours?
Both routes can end without an oral hearing, with a Request for Divorce (Without Oral Hearing), a sworn Affidavit of the Applicant and a proposed Divorce Judgment. They differ at the start. Your eligibility check confirms which one fits and you receive the matching set.
In the Northwest Territories, an uncontested divorce is a paperwork process in the Supreme Court. You start with a Petition for Divorce (joint or sole), then — once the case is ready — you file a Request for Divorce (Without Oral Hearing) with a sworn Affidavit of the Applicant and a proposed Divorce Judgment. This kit gives you the current Court forms for your route, with plain-language instructions for filing, service, the federal Central Registry step and the affidavit-evidence stage.
Joint Petition for Divorce
Both spouses sign · relies on one year’s separation
Because both spouses sign the filed petition, it does not have to be served between you. The published rules allow a joint separation-ground petition to be filed before the full year of separation has elapsed, and any other relief in it must be sought by consent. Either spouse can withdraw before the Divorce Judgment is granted.
It still needs proof of marriage, the residence information, and — for any parenting, support or property relief — the matching disclosure and a signed agreement or Corollary Relief Order.
Sole Petition for Divorce
One spouse files · the other does not dispute
You file alone and must have the Petition served on your spouse. Your spouse then normally has 25 days to file an Answer or Counter Petition if served in the Northwest Territories, or 30 days if served elsewhere (longer if served outside Canada — confirm the exact period with the registry).
If nothing is filed, you file proof of service (Affidavit of Service) and a Direction to Note in Default, then move to the judgment stage. Non-opposition does not turn a sole Petition into a joint one or remove the service and default steps.
Either route: where the petition asks for support, each spouse’s financial statement (Form 8) is required at filing; where it asks for a division of property, each spouse’s property statement (Form 9) is required at filing — unless the parties have a signed agreement or a consent Corollary Relief Order that the court will accept. Confirm what your case needs against the current Divorce Rules.
Why use an affidavit-evidence kit?
For a genuinely uncontested case, the Northwest Territories lets you submit the divorce for a judgment on sworn affidavit evidence — “without an oral hearing” — instead of testifying in court. Done carefully, it keeps a straightforward divorce affordable and predictable, without paying a lawyer to prepare standard paperwork.
Keep more of your money
You do the paperwork yourself and keep the difference between a lawyer’s fee and the kit price — see the breakdown alongside.
Usually no hearing
A complete, qualifying uncontested file can be considered on affidavit evidence, subject to the rules, the Central Registry check and the judge’s determination — the usual outcome, not a guarantee.
What a Northwest Territories divorce costs
Court fees are currently $165 to commence the Petition or Joint Petition (including the $10 Central Registry fee), plus a small per-copy fee for the Certificate of Divorce. There is no fixed total cost for a divorce: a process server, a commissioner to swear your affidavits, copies, postage and stamped envelopes, substituted-service applications, agreements or Corollary Relief Orders, and any financial or property material are extra. Fees are as listed at the date shown below and can change — confirm current amounts with the registry.
What’s in the kit
The current Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories divorce forms for your route, set up so you know what each one does and the order to file them in.
The form that starts your case
- A Joint Petition for Divorce for spouses who agree, or a sole Petition for Divorce if you file alone
- Guidance on residency, the ground for divorce, and what to claim (and not claim)
- Proof of marriage and which schedules apply to your situation
Your “without oral hearing” judgment package
The set assembled once the case is ready for a judgment on affidavit evidence:
Filing roadmap
- Step-by-step instructions for filing at a Supreme Court registry and arranging service
- The Answer and default timelines, and the federal Central Registry step
- Assembling the judgment material and requesting the Certificate of Divorce, with a self-check list before you submit
What this kit does not include
- Any court sign-off that your file is judge-ready — the registry processes the file and a judge reviews it; a private kit cannot certify that
- The granted Divorce Judgment — you supply the proposed judgment; the judge decides whether to grant it
- Case-specific schedules, written agreements, Corollary Relief Orders, or financial/property statements beyond the standard forms
- Property, pension or debt division as a decided outcome (separate claim and process)
- Contested matters, answers, counter-petitions, variation applications, protection orders, or anything beyond a genuinely uncontested divorce
- Filing or serving your documents for you, or any court representation
- Legal advice about your specific situation, or review of your completed documents
- Court, registry and service fees
PlainDivorce is a private publisher. The Supreme Court publishes its forms but has not reviewed, approved or endorsed this kit and does not promise to accept adapted templates. Always take the current form versions and confirm the full, fact-specific filing set from the Courts of the Northwest Territories forms index and the NWT Divorce Rules, and check current requirements with the registry before filing.
How it works
The path to a Divorce Judgment in the Northwest Territories on the affidavit-evidence route.
File & register
File your Joint Petition or sole Petition for Divorce, with proof of marriage and any required schedules, at a Supreme Court registry (Yellowknife, Hay River or Inuvik). The commencement fee is $165 and includes the $10 Central Registry fee. Within seven days the registrar sends the required information to the federal Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings, which checks for duplicate proceedings between you and your spouse.
Serve your spouse (sole route)
On a sole Petition, someone other than you must serve your spouse. Your spouse has 25 days to file an Answer or Counter Petition if served in the NWT (30 days if served elsewhere; longer if outside Canada). If nothing is filed, you file the Affidavit of Service and a Direction to Note in Default. Joint petitioners skip this step.
Request a judgment without a hearing
File the Request for Divorce (Without Oral Hearing) with the sworn Affidavit of the Applicant, any Corollary Relief Order or agreement, any Form 8 / Form 9 material, and the proposed Divorce Judgment with stamped envelopes. In a qualifying uncontested case this replaces oral testimony; a judge then reviews the file.
Judgment & certificate
The judge either returns the file for correction, asks for more evidence or an appearance, or grants the divorce and signs the Divorce Judgment. The divorce ordinarily takes effect on the 31st day after the day the judgment is rendered. Once it has taken effect you can request a Certificate of Divorce — the proof you need to remarry.
Total time from filing to judgment is usually several months, driven mainly by the Central Registry check, service, and the court’s review queue. The Central Registry does not publish a consumer clearance time, and a kit cannot speed up the court’s timelines.
Kit pricing vs. lawyer fees
| Feature | PlainDivorce kit | Typical lawyer |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation cost | $129 | $1,500–$4,000 |
| Court fees | $165 to commence + certificate fee (paid to the court) | Same, usually billed on top |
| Pace | You set it (DIY) | Lawyer’s schedule |
| Forms included | Yes — route-matched | Yes |
Secure one-time payment · No subscription · Instant download
What our customers say
Experiences from people who prepared their divorce paperwork with PlainDivorce.
4.7 out of 5 based on 300+ customer reviews
Customer reviews are collected from purchasers and support conversations. Names may be shortened for privacy, and individual results vary by court, case facts, and filing requirements.
“The instructions were clear about which form to use and what to file at each stage. I never felt lost.”
Freya H.
Hay River
“For the price, this was a big saving over the quotes I got from firms in Yellowknife.”
Charlotte E.
Inuvik
“My spouse and I filed the joint petition. The kit explained what each of us had to sign and swear.”
Emily G.
Yellowknife
“Straightforward and well organised. The checklist before filing was the most useful part.”
Daniel R.
Fort Smith
Northwest Territories uncontested divorce: frequently asked questions
What is a Joint Petition for Divorce?
It is a petition signed by both spouses to start the divorce together, on the one-year separation ground. Because both spouses sign the filed petition, it does not have to be served between you, and any other relief in it must be sought by consent. Either spouse can withdraw before the Divorce Judgment is granted. A sole Petition for Divorce is filed by one spouse and must be served on the other.
Read our full guide to the Northwest Territories divorce process.
Does the affidavit route mean there is no court date?
In a qualifying uncontested proceeding you can file a Request for Divorce (Without Oral Hearing) with a sworn Affidavit of the Applicant and a proposed Divorce Judgment instead of testifying, and the court can consider the file without a hearing. It is not a promise of a hearing-free result: the judge can require different or additional evidence, direct a chambers appearance, or direct oral-evidence steps, and any disputed claim proceeds through the ordinary court process.
Do I have to live in the Northwest Territories to file?
You or your spouse must have been ordinarily (habitually) resident in the Northwest Territories for at least the one year immediately before the divorce proceeding starts. That is a jurisdiction requirement, and it is separate from the one-year separation ground for the divorce itself.
How does the one-year separation ground work?
You do not have to wait until your first anniversary of separation to start a case — you can file earlier — but the court cannot grant a separation-ground divorce until you have been living separate and apart for one year. Reconciliation attempts totalling no more than 90 days do not restart the clock. Adultery and cruelty are separate statutory grounds under the Divorce Act and need different evidence and legal advice.
What are the service and response deadlines on a sole petition?
After a sole Petition is served, your spouse has 25 days to file an Answer or Counter Petition if served in the Northwest Territories, or 30 days if served elsewhere (longer if served outside Canada — confirm the exact period with the registry). If nothing is filed, you file the Affidavit of Service and a Direction to Note in Default before moving to the judgment stage.
When do we need a financial statement or property statement?
Where the petition asks for support, each spouse’s financial statement (Form 8) is required at filing. Where it asks for a division of property, each spouse’s property statement (Form 9) is required at filing — unless you have a signed agreement or a consent Corollary Relief Order the court will accept. Confirm which applies to your case against the current Divorce Rules before you file.
How much are the court filing fees?
The NWT Court Services Fees Regulations currently list $165 to commence a Supreme Court divorce petition, which includes the $10 federal Central Registry fee. A small per-copy fee applies to the Certificate of Divorce after the first copy. There is no fixed total: a process server, a commissioner to swear affidavits, copies, postage, stamped envelopes and any agreements or property material are extra. Confirm current fees with the registry before you file.
What is the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings step?
When a divorce proceeding is filed, the court registrar sends the required information to the federal Central Registry within seven days. The Registry checks for pending or completed duplicate proceedings between the same two spouses and reports back to the court. It is not a purchaser-controlled “wait for a clearance certificate” task, and it does not by itself allow a judgment to be granted.
Does this kit help divide our property?
In the NWT, property is divided by equalization of family property under the Family Law Act, not a 50/50 community-property split. If you and your spouse already agree, the kit helps you record that agreement or a consent Corollary Relief Order and file the required property statement. If you do not agree, or have a pension, business, real estate, significant debt or disputed assets, get legal advice before filing — that is outside this kit’s scope.
We have children — can we still use this?
Only if parenting and child support are fully agreed or already ordered and the child support follows the Federal Child Support Guidelines. Parenting and support claims trigger their own disclosure and consent orders or agreements. The court must be satisfied that reasonable child-support arrangements have been made before it grants a divorce. If anything about the children is unresolved, see a lawyer.
When is the divorce final, and how do I get the certificate?
A divorce ordinarily takes effect on the 31st day after the day the judgment granting it is rendered — the appeal period. The Divorce Act allows an earlier date only in defined special circumstances with the required agreement or undertaking, and an appeal can change the effective date. Once the divorce has taken effect you can request a Certificate of Divorce from a court registry; it is the proof you need to remarry.
Is PlainDivorce a law firm?
No. PlainDivorce is a self-help information service. We provide the current Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories divorce forms with plain-language instructions; we do not give legal advice, review your documents for accuracy, certify anything to the court, or file or serve documents for you. For advice about your situation, or if anything is disputed, consult a Northwest Territories family lawyer.
Important legal disclaimer
PlainDivorce is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, legal opinions, or representation. The Northwest Territories Uncontested Divorce Kit is a self-help information product containing publicly available Supreme Court forms with general instructions. It is not a substitute for advice from a licensed Northwest Territories lawyer, and the Supreme Court has not reviewed, approved or endorsed it.
We do not guarantee that the court will accept any particular filing or grant a divorce. You supply the proposed Divorce Judgment; a judge decides whether to grant it and may require different or further evidence or an appearance. Court rules, forms and fees (currently $165 to commence a divorce petition including a $10 federal Central Registry fee, plus a per-copy Certificate of Divorce fee, before service and case-specific costs) change from time to time, and there is no fixed total cost for a divorce. You are responsible for verifying the current fees, form versions and requirements with the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories registry before filing.
Content last reviewed: September 2026.