Petition or joint petition
Opens the requested type of case and identifies the orders being requested. A joint procedure may have separate eligibility and signature requirements.
Know what each form is supposed to accomplish.
A court packet is a sequence, not one form. The correct documents depend on who is filing, what procedure applies, whether children or financial issues are involved and what has actually happened in the case.
Source record reviewed: 2026-11-03 · Page updated: 2026-11-03 · Not attorney-certified legal advice
Summons and service proof
The summons explains response obligations. Proof of service records an actual service event; it should never be completed before service occurs.
Response and counter-request
States the other spouse’s position and may request additional relief. Deadlines are controlled by current court rules and actual service.
Financial disclosure
Income, expenses, property and debts may be exchanged or filed in different ways. Confidential identifiers require special handling.
Settlement and parenting documents
Record resolved terms in a format the court accepts. An agreement does not itself become a judgment.
Judgment and notice of entry
The judge’s signed or entered order controls the result and effective date. A prepared draft does not end the marriage.
BEFORE SIGNING
Review the form as a sworn statement.
- Use legal names and known dates consistently across every document
- Confirm party labels such as petitioner, respondent or joint petitioner
- Do not fill a court-only, clerk-only, signature or service field prematurely
- Reconcile property, debt, income and child information across attachments
- Check the revision date and current official instructions
- Identify required local coversheets, standing orders or confidential-information notices
- Read every declaration before signing under penalty of perjury
- Keep a copy of exactly what was filed, served, exchanged and returned