By the Templateez Team · Licensed Attorney (NJ & NY) · June 2026

Family Law Intake Forms: Capturing What Matters in Domestic Cases

Family law intakes are different from every other legal intake because the facts are personal, the stakes are immediate, and the client is usually in crisis. A generic legal intake form with "describe your legal issue" and a text box is not enough. Family matters require structured fields for custody, property, income, and safety.

Case Classification First

Family law is not one practice area. It is several, and the intake needs to identify which one immediately: divorce (contested vs. uncontested), child custody and parenting time, child support, spousal support and alimony, domestic violence and restraining orders, adoption, guardianship, paternity, prenuptial or postnuptial agreements, and modification of existing orders. Our Family Law intake includes checkboxes for all of these so the attorney knows the case type before the consultation begins.

Financial Snapshot

In any divorce or support matter, the financial picture drives the case. Your intake should capture, at minimum: employment status and income for both parties, real property (marital home, investment properties), retirement accounts and pensions, business interests, debts and liabilities, and existing support obligations. You do not need the full financial affidavit at intake. You need enough to determine whether this is a high-asset case, a standard case, or a case where discovery will be the bottleneck.

Custody and Parenting

If children are involved, the intake must capture: number and ages of children, current living arrangement, existing custody orders, school district and enrollment, special needs or medical conditions, and the client's desired custody arrangement. This information determines whether you are litigating or negotiating, and it frames the best-interests analysis from the start.

Safety Screening

Every family law intake should include a domestic violence screening section. This is not optional. It informs safety planning, whether a TRO/FRO is needed, and how communications with the opposing party should be handled. The screening should ask about physical violence, threats, controlling behavior, and whether the client feels safe in the current living situation.

What the Client Fills Out

The companion client questionnaire captures the client's narrative: what happened, what they want, what they are most worried about, and what outcome they consider acceptable. This document, in the client's own words, becomes the foundation for case strategy and a reference point when emotions shift — which they always do in family matters.