What you get
- An editable Word document, drafted from your answers and the state's official text.
- A proof of sources: every citation in the draft with the words it quotes, the official source, the date the text was saved and its fingerprint.
- Notes for counsel listing each point marked [VERIFY], each blank and each choice left for the client.
What the intake asks
Plain questions, in the order an attorney would take the facts. Anything left blank stays a marked blank in the draft; nothing is invented to fill it.
The parties
- Our client
- The other spouse
- Our client is the
- Date of marriage
- Date of separation
Children and support
- Minor children
- Children
- Custody arrangement
- Who pays child support
- Child support per month
- What does the state's guideline produce
- If the agreed amount differs from the guideline, why
- and 1 more
Spousal support
- Spousal support
- Can the support be changed later
- Spousal support amount and duration
- Spousal-support payment and termination terms
Property and debts
- Marital home
- Home details
- Vehicles
- Bank and investment accounts
- Retirement accounts and pensions
- What kinds of retirement are being divided
- Debts
Insurance, college and taxes
- Children's health insurance and unreimbursed medical
- College or post-secondary expenses
- Life insurance to secure support
- Health insurance for the other spouse after the divorce
How the agreement was reached
- Have both parties exchanged financial disclosure
- Is the other spouse represented
- Tax matters
The decree
- How the agreement meets the final decree
- Attorney's fees and enforcement costs
- Default, notice, cure and unresolved-asset terms
- Releases, estate rights and beneficiary-designation changes
- Home transfer or sale mechanics
- Other terms
Where it is offered
Every state Lawsmith has official sources for:
CaliforniaConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaMarylandMassachusettsNew JerseyNew YorkOhioPennsylvaniaTexasVirginia
Official sources on file
The drafter works from the texts Lawsmith has saved for this document in the state you choose, plus federal law where it applies. Each is read from the official publisher and dated.
| State | Sources for this document |
|---|---|
| California | 34 |
| Connecticut | 29 |
| Delaware | 27 |
| District of Columbia | 34 |
| Florida | 22 |
| Maryland | 27 |
| Massachusetts | 30 |
| New Jersey | 26 |
| New York | 23 |
| Ohio | 21 |
| Pennsylvania | 40 |
| Texas | 30 |
| Virginia | 27 |
Among them, for New Jersey:
- N.J.S.A. 2A:34-2 Causes for divorce from bond of matrimony.
- N.J.S.A. 2A:34-10 Jurisdiction in divorce proceedings, dissolution of a civil union, legal separation from a partner in a civil union couple; service of process; residence requirements.
- N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 Alimony, maintenance.
- N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23.1 Equitable distribution criteria.
- N.J.S.A. 9:2-4 Custody of child; rights of both parents considered.
How the draft is checked
Before it writes, the drafter must quote the official text behind each citation. Lawsmith compares every quotation with the text on file, character for character; a citation with no checked quotation reaches you marked [VERIFY]. The draft still needs your review before it is signed, filed or sent. How citations are checked
More divorce & family documents
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