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Part of Courts

Family Docket Court

You must go to Family Docket Court before you can schedule a formal hearing for a family matter, if your file is in Edmonton or Calgary.

Overview

If you have a Court of King’s Bench family law file or divorce file in Calgary or Edmonton, you must schedule a court date in Family Docket Court before you can file for a formal hearing (application). At that court date, a justice (who is a judge within the Court of King’s Bench) will either send you to Alternative Dispute Resolution or allow you to file for an application. You and the other party should try to resolve the issue through Alternative Dispute Resolution before making a court application.

If both parties agree, the justice can issue a Consent Order at Family Docket Court which may resolve the issues.

See available court dates for Family Docket Court.

Family Docket Court is only available in Calgary and Edmonton. If you have a Court of King’s Bench family law or divorce file in locations outside Calgary or Edmonton, you can file a Regular Chambers application without going to Family Docket Court.

  • Urgent applications

    You do not have to come to Family Docket Court if you have an urgent application for a protection order, where no notice is being given to the other side.

    These applications are made to a justice at the Alberta Court of Justice or to a justice of the peace and are then reviewed in a process that is separate from Family Docket Court.

    For information about safety supports for domestic violence, contact Court and Justice Services.

  • Simple applications

    Alternatively, it is possible for you to bring some simple applications before the court without having to go to Family Docket Court first. For more details, see Simple Desk Application Process.

Forms

Complete a Notice to Attend Family Docket Court. This provides the court and the other party details about the application. You can complete the form electronically or by hand.

  • File with the court

    You can file the Notice to Attend Family Docket Court form at the Court of King's Bench or by email. If you file in-person, you must file in the location where your court file is located. See Alberta court locations.

    To file by email:

    1. Write the subject line as: NOTICE TO ATTEND FAMILY DOCKET – FILE NUMBER – LOCATION
    2. Cc the other party or opposing counsel
    3. Send the file to:

  • Serve your notice

    You must give the other party a filed copy of your Notice to Attend Family Docket Court. The other party needs to get this document at least 5 days before the hearing date.

    You can deliver it by:

    • giving it in-person
    • email
    • text message
    • social media
    • any way you normally communicate with the other party

    You do not need to complete an Affidavit of Service (a form you complete when delivering court documents). However, the justice will not hear your case if the other party has not received the paperwork.

  • Issues not included in the application

    If the other party wants to address issues that were not in the application, they don’t need to file a second Notice to Attend. Instead, they can tell duty counsel and/or the justice their concerns at the Family Docket Court hearing.

Attend the hearing

You can attend the Family Docket Court hearing in person or virtually through video or telephone. If you attend virtually you should behave and dress as though you were attending in person.

  • Virtual hearings

    For virtual hearings, you must read and agree with the court’s prohibition on recording, livestreaming or broadcasting before being admitted to a hearing.

    To appear by video:

    Edmonton: Virtual Courtroom 24 (ELC QB)

    To appear by telephone:
    Dial-in number: 780-851-3573
    Access code: 967 517 233

    Calgary: Virtual Courtroom 27 (CCC QB)

    To appear by telephone:
    Dial-in number: 780-851-3573
    Access code: 964 699 763

  • Check in with duty counsel

    Duty counsel is a lawyer from Legal Aid Alberta who assists the court and both parties. On the day of your hearing, duty counsel will:

    • speak to the parties
    • explain the issues to the court
    • suggest Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve the dispute

    When your hearing starts, duty counsel will give a brief summary of your case before you speak to the justice.

Justice’s decision

At Family Docket Court, the justice may do one of the following:

  • Issue a Consent Order if all parties can agree on the issue.
  • Send the parties to an Alternative Dispute Resolution process, including:
    • Child Support Resolution Program through the Government of Alberta’s Resolution Services
    • Family mediation through the Government of Alberta’s Resolution Services
    • Family Resolution Counsel through the Court of King’s Bench
    • Early Intervention Case Conference through the Court of King’s Bench
  • Set a court date for a more formal court process which could include a:
    • desk application
    • Regular Chambers application
    • Special Chambers application
  • If appropriate, have the parties come back to Family Docket Court later (adjourn) to allow the parties to prepare to proceed.

After the hearing

After Family Docket Court is completed, you will receive a Family Docket Court Endorsement that the justice has signed. This endorsement outlines what the parties should do and can include:

  • an Alternative Dispute Resolution process
  • a court appearance
  • deadlines for document exchange or filing

You must return to Family Docket Court to schedule further formal court processes unless otherwise directed.

Contact

Connect with Court and Justice Services Contact Centre:

Toll free: 1-855-738-4747
Phone: 780-638-4747 (Edmonton)

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