| name | dissolution-petition |
| title | Petition for Dissolution of Marriage |
| description | Drafts a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage for filing in US state family courts. Covers jurisdictional standing, grounds, child custody and support, property and debt division, spousal support, and prayer for relief. Use when preparing initial divorce petitions, dissolution pleadings, or family law filing documents. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/dissolution-petition |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | family |
| language | en |
| tags | ["drafting","litigation","pleading"] |
Petition for Dissolution of Marriage
Drafts a jurisdiction-compliant petition initiating divorce proceedings with all required allegations and relief requests.
Prerequisites
- Jurisdiction identified — state, county, confirmed residency period met
- Party information — full legal names, DOBs, addresses, marriage date, separation date
- Children — names, DOBs, current living arrangements (if applicable)
- Asset/debt summary — real property, accounts, business interests, major debts
- Client objectives — custody preferences, support requests, property division goals
- Local court rules — formatting, mandatory forms, concurrent filing requirements
Quick Start
- Confirm residency satisfies statutory minimum; cite statute by number
- Draft caption per local rules with court name, party names, case number placeholder
- Allege grounds using exact statutory language for the filing jurisdiction
- Address each applicable relief category (custody, support, property, debts)
- Close with prayer for relief — every prayer item must correspond to a petition allegation
- Add verification under penalty of perjury with proper signature blocks
Output Structure
Caption and Header
| Element | Requirements |
|---|
| Court | Full court name with jurisdiction (e.g., "Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles") |
| Case number | Case No. ___________ |
| Parties | Petitioner and Respondent, full legal names |
| Document title | "PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE" |
Format caption per local rules — verify margins, font, line spacing, line numbering.
Jurisdictional Allegations