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What do the terms "petitioner" and "respondent" mean?
The petitioner is the person asking for the divorce. He or she "petitions" or asks the court to grant an order for divorce. The respondent is the other spouse, either the husband or the wife, who is being divorced. He or she is given the chance to "respond" and so is called the "respondent".
In some provinces such as Alberta and British Columbia, the person asking for the divorce is called the plaintiff and the other spouse is called the defendant. These are the same terms used for most other kinds of legal actions.
June 2006
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