We are pleased to announce the expansion of the King's Bench Filing Digital Service – Civil to include many lawyers where the filing is exempt from filing fees.
Effective November 15, 2023, qualifying lawyers with a Law Society of Alberta Bar ID will be able to submit filings in FDS for all King’s Bench locations within the Province of Alberta.
Lawyers whose filing may qualify for fee exemption in FDS include those who work for:
- Government of Alberta departments funded by general revenue
- Private law firms representing a Government of Alberta department funded by general revenue
- Clients with a Legal Aid Certificate
This initial release, fee exceptions in FDS does not include:
- Submissions that include a fee waiver. These submissions should continue to be filed using existing methods
FDS will require proof of fee exemption status upon filing.
To submit filings to King’s Bench using FDS, Alberta lawyers and legal assistants must first create an account on the service. Instructions for the creation of an account, an overview of FDS, and an additional guide for lawyers and legal assistants are available at the following links:
Lawyers are encouraged to visit the Law Society of Alberta lawyer directory to confirm the official law practice location and other details, as FDS pulls account information directly from the LSA during the account creation process.
If a lawyer or legal assistant already has an account in another King’s Bench digital service, such as Surrogate or Family & Divorce, they can create an account and sign in to FDS using the same login credentials.