How to organize family-law evidence
Practical, plain-language guides for gathering and organizing the evidence behind a California family-law matter — and turning it into a clean, source-traceable packet you can hand to an attorney. Pick your matter to start.
How to organize evidence for a domestic-violence restraining order (DVRO)
Organize the incident timeline and corroborating evidence for a domestic-violence restraining order. Highest urgency — temporary orders can move on a same-day / next-court-day footing.
Read the guide →Custody (RFO)How to organize evidence for a custody case (Request for Order)
Organize the parenting timeline, communications, and records to support a Request for Order for custody or visitation. Note the 16-court-day service deadline before a hearing.
Read the guide →DivorceHow to organize evidence for a divorce (dissolution)
Organize the timeline and the financial-disclosure source documents for a dissolution. Preliminary financial disclosures (FL-142 / FL-150) are required in every case before judgment.
Read the guide →ParentageHow to organize evidence for a parentage case
For unmarried parents: organize evidence of the relationship, contact, and support to establish legal parentage — and the custody and support that follow.
Read the guide →What each guide covers
- The factual topics worth gathering evidence for
- What makes a packet attorney-ready
- A missing-evidence checklist for your matter
- The California forms commonly associated with it (reference only)
Common questions
What does "source-traceable" mean?
It means every fact in your packet carries a verbatim quote from your own evidence, plus a reference back to the document it came from. Anyone reviewing the packet can check each fact against its source. Nothing is invented or summarized away from what you provided.
What is an exhibit index?
An exhibit index is a labeled list of the documents you're including, each given a designation (A, B, C…) and a page reference. It's how a reader finds a specific piece of evidence quickly. ExhibitPack builds one in a California Rules of Court 3.1110-style format.
What does "attorney-ready" mean here?
It describes a clean, organized, source-traceable file — a dated chronology, an exhibit index, and facts tied to their sources — that's easy to hand to an attorney. It does not mean an attorney reviewed it or that it is legally sufficient; ExhibitPack is not a law firm and gives no legal advice.
Do I need an account to organize my evidence?
No. You can build and preview a packet for free without signing up. An account only matters if you want to save your work or come back to it later.
Does ExhibitPack give legal advice or tell me what to file?
No. ExhibitPack organizes the evidence you provide into a chronology, issue clusters, and an exhibit index. It does not advise you on your rights, which forms to file, deadlines, or strategy. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney or your court's self-help center.
Is my evidence kept private?
Images are read with on-device OCR, so your evidence isn't shipped off just to be scanned. You can delete your data at any time. See the Privacy page for details.