This is the paperwork which gives the court the power to make orders in your divorce, paternity or legal separation case.

This paper is filed at the beginning of your case asking the court to grant the divorce, legal separation or paternity judgment.  It provides the court with basic information about the parties, including your date of marriage, your date of separation, and the names and ages of your children.

The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act Declaration (UCCJEA) form tells the court whether there are other court cases involving your children.

This is paperwork filed by the person who was served with the divorce, and tells the court that he/she intends to participate in the divorce proceedings.

An Order to Show Cause, or OSC, is filed with the court asking the judge to make orders.

An Order After Hearing is a formal court order, usually prepared by one of the parties’ lawyers, outlining all of the court orders made by the judge.

A Schedule of Assets and Debts itemizes what you own and what you owe.

An Income and Expense Declaration, commonly referred to as an I & E, declares your income and your living expenses. It is used to determine attorney fees, spousal support and child support.

A Declaration of Disclosure tells the court that you have revealed your assets, your debts, your income, and your expenses  to the other party.

A Stipulation is an agreement that is put into writing and signed by the judge.

A Wage Assignment is a court order sent to a party’s employer ordering that child support or spousal support be deducted out of the payor's check and sent directly to the supported party.

An MSA, or Marital Settlement Agreement, is a stipulation that settles all issues contained in a divorce, including child custody, child visitation, child support, spousal support, attorney fees, division of property, division of debts and division of any pensions. It is signed by both parties and incorporated into the final judgment.

A Partial Judgment is a stipulation which resolves some, but not all, of the issues in the divorce.

A Judgment is a document which outlines all the orders made in a case, whether by stipulation or by court order.  The judgment makes the parties eligible to remarry.

A Qualified Domestic Relations Order, commonly called a QDRO, is a court order prepared after the divorce judgment and tells the employer how to divide pension money.

A certified copy is a pleading which has been certified by a court clerk as a true and accurate.