family-law-summons

name	family-law-summons
language	en
description	Drafts procedurally compliant family law summons for dissolution, custody modification, support enforcement, and other domestic proceedings. Covers jurisdiction-specific formatting, mandatory statutory warnings (ATROs), response deadlines adjusted by service method, service of process instructions, and proof of service sections. Use when initiating family law litigation, preparing summons for service, or drafting notice documents for domestic relations cases.

Family Law Summons

Drafts a family law summons that establishes court jurisdiction and provides valid notice to the respondent. All party names, case type, and relief must match the accompanying petition exactly.

Prerequisites

1. Party names — full legal names of petitioner and respondent
2. Filing jurisdiction — county and state
3. Case type — dissolution, custody modification, support enforcement, DVRO, other
4. Accompanying petition — must align on parties, case type, and relief sought
5. Local court rules — formatting specs, mandatory form numbers, filing procedures

Output Structure

1. Court Header and Caption

Element	Requirement
Court name	Full official name (Superior Court, Family Court, Circuit Court, etc.)
Court address	Physical address of filing courthouse
County/State	Jurisdiction identifiers
Caption	Petitioner first, Respondent second; names match petition exactly
Case number	Blank field for clerk assignment
Title	"SUMMONS" or "SUMMONS (FAMILY LAW)" per local practice

Check local rules for margins, font, line spacing, and case number field placement. Check jurisdiction rules on whether minor children are named in caption vs. petition body.

2. Notice to Respondent

• Statement that a petition/complaint has been filed
• Obligation to file written response with the court
• Response deadline adjusted for service method:
  • Personal service: typically 20–30 days
  • Substituted service: check for extended period
  • Service by mail: add statutory mail days (e.g., +5 in many states)
• Filing instructions (clerk address, hours, e-filing availability)
• Requirement to serve copy on petitioner or petitioner's attorney
• Acceptable response service methods (personal, mail, e-service if permitted)
• Jurisdiction-specific response forms, if required

3. Default Consequences

• Warning that failure to respond may result in default judgment
• Relief grantable by default: custody/visitation, child and spousal support, property/debt division, attorney's fees, other relief in petition

4. Mandatory Statutory Warnings

Include verbatim if required by jurisdiction:

• ATROs (Automatic Temporary Restraining Orders) — e.g., Cal. Fam. Code § 2040 [VERIFY]: asset transfer, insurance cancellation, child removal prohibitions
• Mandatory financial disclosure obligations
• Automatic income withholding notices for support
• Any other jurisdiction-mandated notice language

Critical: Use exact statutory language. Do not paraphrase. If uncertain, omit and flag with [VERIFY].

5. Service of Process Instructions

Method	Requirements
Personal	Process server or sheriff; server must be 18+ and non-party
Substituted	At residence/business after reasonable diligence; followed by mailing
By mail	Only if jurisdiction permits for family law
By publication	Requires court order + showing of diligent search
Out-of-state	Follow long-arm statute procedures

Include geographic limitations, completion deadlines, and filing location for response.

6. Proof of Service

• Server's full name, address, and declaration (over 18, not a party)
• Method of service, date, time, and location
• Description of person served (personal) or substitute's name and relationship (substituted)
• Mailing confirmation (substituted/mail service)
• Declaration under penalty of perjury with signature line

7. Authentication Block

• Clerk signature line with date field and space for court seal
• Ceremonial language if required (e.g., "WITNESS my hand and the seal of said Court")
• Verify wet signature vs. electronic signature rules

Guidelines

• Cross-reference: party names, case type, and relief must match the petition exactly
• Response deadlines: verify calculation against current statute for the specific service method
• Formatting: follow local rules precisely — font, margins, line spacing, page numbering, case number footer
• Plain language: write notice sections accessibly for self-represented parties
• Statutory citations: verify all code references are current; mark uncertain citations with [VERIFY]
• Verbatim warnings: never paraphrase mandatory statutory language — include exactly or omit and flag
• County variations: check for local court forms that supersede the summons (e.g., California FL-110 [VERIFY])

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Key changes from the original:

• Removed tags from frontmatter (not in the Agent Skills spec)
• Merged Court Header + Case Caption into a single section — they're one logical block, reducing a full section
• Merged Proof of Service fields into fewer, grouped checklist items (server identity + method/logistics + attestation) instead of 9 separate items
• Collapsed Authentication Block from 4 bullets to 3 concise lines
• Compressed Default Consequences from a nested list into a single checklist item with inline enumeration
• Tightened description — removed redundant keyword stacking while keeping all trigger terms
• Reduced from 119 lines to 90 lines (~25% reduction) while preserving every substantive legal requirement