Example questions for family law matters

Use these examples with Ask Mary to explore the documents in your matter. Replace bracketed text with relevant names, dates or source documents. Start with one question and add detail when needed.

Parties, care and relationship history

• What do the records say about the relationship milestones for [parties]?

• What disagreements about the care of [child] are recorded? Attribute each account and identify its source.

• What do the records say about [party]'s health and the reported effect on caring for [child]? Distinguish reported concerns from professional opinions.

• What employment or unemployment periods are documented for [party]?

• What do the supplied records say about alleged or recorded substance use by [party]? Keep the source and attribution clear.

• What living arrangements and reported effects on wellbeing are described for [party]?

Allegations, safety and orders

• List [party]'s allegations about [act] by [other party], with the source and any recorded response.

• Identify allegations or recorded findings of sexual assault concerning [parties]. Distinguish allegations, findings and outcomes.

• Summarise the domestic violence reports and protection orders in the supplied documents, including dates and attributed accounts.

• What charges, findings or outcomes concerning [party] are recorded? Distinguish each status and identify missing information.

• What allegations or evidence of financial control are described, and by whom?

An allegation is not an established fact. Read the underlying passage, any response and the procedural outcome before drawing a conclusion.

Contributions and payments

• What financial and non-financial contributions to [asset] are described for [party]?

• Summarise the recorded child support assessments and payments. Distinguish assessed amounts, claimed payments and supporting payment records.

For transactions in PDF statements, use Analyse bank statements and check the cited rows. A transfer is not necessarily expenditure.

Request a chronology

Use Create and edit a chronology. For an early overview:

Create a relationship chronology with date, event description and source. Include recorded births, the start of the relationship, cohabitation, children's births, property purchases, separation or divorce, and other relevant milestones. Identify unclear dates.

For a narrower later task:

Create a chronology of [property]'s purchase, mortgage payments and leasing, or of [child]'s living arrangements during [period]. Include a source for each entry and preserve conflicting accounts.

Prepare a conference outline

For a written outline, use Draft a document and adapt this structure:

Prepare a conference outline under these headings, in order: Matter overview; Parties; Relationship history; Children; Current care arrangements; Property / financial snapshot; Key disputed facts; Proceedings / orders sought; Client objectives; Missing information / follow-up items; Initial conference summary. Include information supported by the supplied material. Where accounts conflict, show both and mark the dispute. Where information is missing, state “unknown” or “not provided”.

Check that current arrangements, client objectives and procedural information are up to date. Use Review for entry-based work and check any draft separately before sharing it.