Divorce & Legal Separation Questionnaire — NewLeaf Document Services

Confidential Client Questionnaire

Divorce & Legal Separation Questionnaire

Divorce · Legal Separation · Summary Dissolution · Response · NewLeaf Document Services

LDA #23-003 · Placer County · Registered & Bonded

Welcome — please read before you begin.
This questionnaire is for clients who have completed the NewLeaf Service Request Form and received a proposal. Submitting it lets JoHanna know you would like to move forward with your proposal. She will then send your Service Agreement and Notice to Consumer to review and sign. No documents are prepared until your Service Agreement is signed. If you have not yet completed the Service Request Form, please start there first.

Please complete every section as thoroughly as possible. If you are unsure of an answer — your best estimate is fine and we will confirm everything together at your appointment. This questionnaire is confidential.

NON-ATTORNEY DISCLOSURE: JoHanna C. Cody is a registered California Legal Document Assistant, not an attorney, and NewLeaf Document Services is not a law firm. I can prepare documents at your specific direction. I cannot give you legal advice, choose forms for you, tell you what to ask the court for, or predict how a judge will rule. Those choices belong to you. For legal advice, please consult a licensed California attorney.

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Which Best Describes Your Situation?

This decides which extra sections appear further down. If JoHanna already sent you a link set up for your service, this will be pre-selected for you.

Choose the one that fits *

I am starting a divorce or legal separation I am doing a Summary Dissolution (short marriage, no children, minimal property) My spouse will not participate — I am filing alone My spouse and I are filing together — neither of us wants to be served (joint petition)I was served with divorce papers and need to respond I'm not sure

💡 No problem — fill out everything you can and JoHanna will sort out which path applies at your appointment.

Your Information

First name *

Middle name (optional)

Last name *

Date of birth *

Phone number *

Email address *

Current mailing address *

How long at this address?

County of residence *

Lived in California 6+ months? *

Yes No

⚠️ You may not yet meet the residency conditions to file in California. Please contact JoHanna before proceeding: (916) 751-6498.

Lived in this county 3+ months? *

Yes No

⚠️ You may need to file in a different county or wait until the 3-month period is met. JoHanna will discuss this at your appointment.

Employment status *

Employer name (if employed)

Are you in active military service?

Yes No

Military cases follow specific procedures. JoHanna will discuss how this affects your case at your appointment.

Are you receiving public assistance?

Yes No Plan to apply

💡 You may qualify for a court filing fee waiver — JoHanna prepares that request at no additional charge.

Would you like NewLeaf to prepare a request to waive court fees?

Yes No Not sure

💡 The court decides who qualifies. According to the court's fee waiver form (FW-001), a waiver may be granted to people who receive certain public benefits, whose household income is below the court's limit, or who do not have enough income to pay for basic household needs and court fees. NewLeaf prepares fee waiver requests at no additional charge.

💡 JoHanna will send you a short fee waiver questionnaire to gather the income and household details the court form asks for.

Who is asking for a fee waiver?

Me My spouse Both of us

💡 Per the California Courts Self-Help Guide, each spouse who needs a fee waiver files their own.

Gross monthly income

💡 Total income before taxes. Estimate is fine — we'll verify at your appointment.

Spouse Information

Please provide as much information as you have. If you don't know something — leave it blank or note "unknown."

First name *

Middle name (if known)

Last name *

Date of birth (if known)

Phone number (if known)

Email address (if known)

Spouse's current address *

💡 Needed for service of process. Last known address is fine if current is unknown. If you have no address at all — note that below and JoHanna will follow up at your appointment.

Employment status (if known)

Employer name (if known)

Spouse's gross monthly income (if known)

Is your spouse in active military service?

Yes No Unknown

⚠️ Federal law gives active military members specific protections that can affect your case timeline and how documents are served. JoHanna will discuss this at your appointment.

Is your spouse receiving public assistance?

Yes No Unknown

Does your spouse know you are filing?

Yes No Unsure

Is your spouse willing to participate?

Yes No Unknown

💡 This may proceed as a True Default — meaning the court can proceed without your spouse's participation. JoHanna will explain what this means at your appointment.

Marriage Details

Are you filing for divorce or legal separation? *

Divorce Legal Separation Not sure yet

💡 A divorce legally ends the marriage. A legal separation keeps you legally married but divides assets and establishes orders. Some couples choose legal separation for insurance or personal reasons. JoHanna will go over the difference with you at your appointment.

Date of marriage *

City and state where married *

Date of separation *

💡 The date one spouse communicated the intent to end the marriage and began acting on that intent. Best estimate is fine — we'll confirm at your appointment.

Have either of you previously filed for divorce in California?

Yes No

⚠️ Please upload any documents from the prior case — they may affect your current case. Use the upload field at the end of this form.

What do you know about the prior filing?

Are you filing together or are you filing alone? *

Filing together (Joint Petition) Filing alone Not sure

💡 If your spouse will not participate — you will file alone and they will be formally served with divorce papers. JoHanna will explain the process at your appointment.

Would YOU like to restore a former name?

Yes No

💡 Name restoration is included in your divorce service — no additional fee or separate filing needed.

Would your SPOUSE like to restore a former name?

Yes No Unknown

Children

Do you have minor children together? *

Yes No

💡 Cases involving minor children include additional forms such as a UCCJEA Declaration — a document showing where your children have lived for the past 5 years. Please have this information ready for your appointment.

Number of minor children together *

Children's residential history — past 5 years *

💡 If all the children lived at the same places together, one list covering them all is fine. The court needs the current address of each person the child lived with, even if the child no longer lives there — that is the part people usually leave out.

Are there existing custody or visitation court orders?

Yes No

⚠️ Please upload a copy — JoHanna will need to review it before your appointment.

Any custody proceedings in any other court or state?

Yes No

⚠️ Proceedings elsewhere may affect jurisdiction over your children.

Court name, state or tribe, and case number

Date of the order or judgment (if you know it)

Which children were involved

What was your part in that case?

Is it still open?

Still open Closed Not sure

What kind of case was it?

Family Guardianship Juvenile Adoption Other Not sure

Current custody arrangement (describe briefly)

Is anyone other than you and your spouse caring for the children, or asking for custody or visits?

Yes No Not sure

💡 This means anyone outside the two of you — a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, a family friend. The court asks about this by name, so please tell us even if the arrangement is informal.

Their name and current address

Which children

How are they related to the children?

What is their situation? (check all that apply)

The children are living with them now

They are asking for custody

They are asking for visits

Orders You Are Asking the Court For

Your petition states what you are requesting. Nothing here is final — it can change as your case goes on. Choose "To be decided" for anything you and your spouse have not settled.

💡 Legal custody means who makes decisions about school, medical care, and religion. Physical custody means where the children live. Either one can be shared between you.

Legal custody to

Me My spouse Both — shared To be decided

Physical custody to

Me My spouse Both — shared To be decided

Parenting time — the schedule you are asking for, if you have one in mind (optional)

Attorney fees and costs

Requesting Not requesting To be decided

Property and debts

Confirm my separate property Divide what we own together Nothing to divide To be decided

Support

Spousal support *

Child support

General Information & Safety

Are you and your spouse in agreement on all major issues? *

Yes — we agree on everything Mostly No Not yet discussed

💡 Major issues include property and debt division, custody, and support. If you're still working through the details — that's okay, JoHanna will help.

Are there any active restraining orders?

Yes No

💡 Please note the case number — this may affect how documents are served and how the case proceeds.

Court name, county and state or tribe, and case number

Date it expires (if you know it)

What kind of order is it?

Criminal Family Juvenile Other Not sure

Is there a bankruptcy filed or pending?

Yes No

⚠️ Bankruptcy can affect how property and debts are divided. Please mention this at your appointment.

Are there any domestic violence or safety concerns?

Yes No

💡 You don't need to share details here — JoHanna will discuss your situation privately and confidentially at your appointment. If you are in immediate danger: 911 or National DV Hotline 1-800-799-7233 (24/7).

Anything you want to note (only what you're comfortable writing)

Summary Dissolution — Qualification Check

⚠️ Summary Dissolution is available only if ALL of the following apply. If any item does not apply — contact JoHanna before proceeding: (916) 751-6498.

We were married less than 5 years (from date of marriage to date of separation)

We have no minor children together — born or adopted before or during the marriage

Neither of us owns or is purchasing real property (no house, condo, or land)

The total value of our community property is under the current limit — not counting car loans

Our total community debts are under the current limit — not counting car loans

We both agree to waive spousal support — neither of us will receive support

We both agree to the Summary Dissolution

💡 The dollar limits adjust periodically. JoHanna will confirm the current figures at your appointment.

List all community property (assets you acquired together)

List all community debts

Agreed division of property and debts

Additional Information — Filing Without Spouse

💡 Since your spouse is not participating, they will need to be formally served with divorce papers by someone other than you. JoHanna will share the court’s published information on how service works at your appointment.

Spouse's last known address (if different from above)

💡 If you have no address at all — note that below. The court has procedures for spouses who cannot be located, and JoHanna will share the court’s published information at your appointment.

Spouse's workplace (if known)

Last time you had contact with spouse

Has your spouse been served with divorce papers before in this case?

Yes No

Any other information that might help locate your spouse

Additional Information — Divorce Response

⚠️ There is a deadline to file a response after you are personally served. If your deadline is approaching — contact JoHanna immediately: (916) 751-6498.

Date you were personally served *

💡 The date papers were physically handed to you — not the date printed on the documents.

Case number from the petition *

Do you agree with what your spouse filed?

Yes — I agree with everything Partially No — I disagree

💡 Filing a response keeps you an active participant in the case, even if you agree with everything.

Describe your position or any items you disagree with (optional)

Please upload the petition you were served with

💡 Upload the FL-100 Petition and any other documents you received. JoHanna needs to review what was filed before your appointment.

Additional Information — Joint Petition

🌿 The joint petition is a California process that began January 1, 2026. You and your spouse file together, nobody is served, and no response is filed. Because it is new, courts are still settling into it — JoHanna will confirm what your county needs before anything is filed.

Are you asking for a divorce or a legal separation? *

DivorceLegal separationWe have not decided

💡 A legal separation has no waiting period. A divorce is final no earlier than six months and one day after the joint petition is filed.

Have the two of you decided who is Petitioner 1 and who is Petitioner 2?

I will be Petitioner 1I will be Petitioner 2We have not decided

💡 It does not change anyone’s rights. On later forms Petitioner 1 is listed as Petitioner and Petitioner 2 as Respondent.

Is NewLeaf preparing these documents for both of you, or only for you? *

For both of us — we are both directing the workOnly for me — my spouse is handling their own paperworkNot sure yet

💡 Either is fine. JoHanna just needs to know so everyone understands who she is preparing documents for. She does not represent or advise either of you.

A joint petition is for people who agree, or expect to agree, on everything. You do not have to have it all worked out today — but you do have to get there before a judgment. Where are the two of you right now on each item?

The date the two of you separated