| name | response-dissolution |
| title | Response to Petition for Dissolution of Marriage |
| description | Drafts a Response to Petition for Dissolution of Marriage addressing each allegation with admit/deny/lack-of-information responses and stating positions on custody, support, property, and fees. Triggers when user needs to respond to a divorce petition, file an answer to dissolution, or avoid default judgment in family law proceedings. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/response-dissolution |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | family |
| language | en |
| tags | ["drafting","litigation","pleading"] |
Response to Petition for Dissolution of Marriage
Drafts the respondent's formal answer to a divorce petition, addressing every allegation and establishing positions on all contested issues to prevent default.
Prerequisites
- Filed petition — case number, court, all allegations
- Client instructions — positions on custody, support, property; factual disputes (especially separation date)
- Financial records — income, assets, debts, retirement, business interests
- Children's information — names, DOBs, living/school arrangements, parenting history
- Service date — confirms response deadline (typically 30 days)
Quick Start
- Gather the petition and client instructions
- Mirror the petition's caption exactly (court, case number, party names)
- Respond to every allegation paragraph-by-paragraph using the response framework
- State positions on each contested issue in order
- Include verification and signature block
- Confirm filing deadline from service date
Response Framework
Every petition allegation must receive one response — an unaddressed allegation may be deemed admitted.
| Response | Use When |
|---|
| Admit | Allegation is true |
| Deny | Allegation is false — state correct fact |
| Admit in part, deny in part | Partially true — specify each portion |
| Lack of information | Respondent genuinely cannot confirm or deny |
Required Sections (in order)
- Jurisdiction & Residency — Admit or correct residency/domicile allegations
- Statistical Facts — Marriage date, separation date, marriage length, minor children. Flag any disputed separation date with respondent's asserted date and basis.
- Child Custody & Visitation — Legal custody (sole/joint), physical custody (sole/joint/primary-to-respondent), proposed visitation if not seeking primary, factual basis (parenting history, routines, involvement)
- Child Support — Agrees to pay / seeks from petitioner / requests guideline deviation with justification
- Spousal Support — Seeks / opposes / agrees to pay; cite income disparity, earning capacity, marital standard of living, marriage length
