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Divorce & Separation
Divorce papers arrived. Understand what you're looking at.
Divorce documents are emotionally overwhelming and legally dense. Attorly reads what's in front of you — asset division, custody terms, support obligations — so you understand the proposal before you agree to anything.
Review these papersNot legal advice: This page explains, in plain language, how a legal document typically works. It is general information — not legal advice about your specific situation. If the stakes are meaningful, or a deadline is close, speak with a licensed lawyer before relying on anything you read here.
Divorce paperwork is a decision tree
The papers you've received aren't a verdict — they're a proposed settlement, a filing, or both. Every clause in them represents a decision someone wants you to agree to: about property, custody, support, and the dissolution itself. Silence is effectively acceptance.
Divorce law is heavily jurisdiction-specific. Community-property states divide differently from equitable-distribution states. Custody standards vary. Support calculations follow state-specific formulas. What's "fair" depends on where you are.
Attorly explains each proposed term, flags anything that deviates from the default outcome a court would likely order, and highlights the clauses where agreement now will affect you for decades.
How it works
Get clarity on any legal document in three steps
Step 1
Upload your document
Drag in a PDF, Word file, or image scan. Any format, any language.
Step 2
Attorly analyzes it
Multiple AI models review your document independently — flagging risks, extracting deadlines, and identifying obligations and key terms. Independent review means nothing gets missed.
Step 3
Know exactly what to do
More than a summary — Attorly gives you a clear action plan: what matters, what to do about it, and in what order. Handle it yourself or bring a lawyer in fully prepared.
What Attorly finds in divorce documents
The terms that will shape your financial and family life going forward.
Asset and property division
How the marital estate is proposed to be split — real estate, bank accounts, retirement funds, business interests, and personal property.
Child custody and parenting plan
Physical and legal custody arrangements, parenting time schedules, and any provisions for holidays, travel, or major decisions.
Child and spousal support
Support amounts, duration, payment schedule, and under what circumstances support could be modified or terminated.
Debt allocation
Who is responsible for shared debts — mortgage, credit cards, student loans — and how creditors are handled if a party doesn't pay.
Terms and deadlines to respond
Any timelines for response, mandatory mediation requirements, or court dates built into the documents.
Spousal and child support calculation
Attorly applies the jurisdiction's support formula (where available) to the disclosed incomes and flags when a proposed support figure deviates meaningfully from the guideline.
Retirement and pension division mechanics
Dividing retirement accounts often requires a separate court order beyond the divorce agreement itself. Attorly flags missing a separate retirement-account division order language.
First steps after receiving papers
Breathe, then work through this list before responding.
- 1
Upload to Attorly — know where you stand
Before you react, respond, or call anyone — start here. Upload the document and multiple AI models review it independently: claims, deadlines, risks, obligations, and your realistic options. In minutes you have a clear action plan. Most people find they can handle more than they expected — and if you do need a lawyer, you'll walk in fully prepared.
- 2
Note every deadline on the cover page
Response deadlines, hearing dates, and mediation deadlines are binding. Attorly pulls them onto one timeline so nothing is missed in the first week.
- 3
Make copies of every financial document
Bank statements, tax returns, retirement accounts, property titles, business valuations, debts. You will need these for mandatory disclosures; starting now avoids a panic later.
- 4
Separate finances carefully — and legally
Opening your own account is usually fine. Moving large sums, hiding assets, or closing joint accounts unilaterally is not. Many jurisdictions freeze large transfers automatically the moment a divorce is filed.
- 5
Get legal advice before agreeing to anything
Custody, support, and property division are hard to unwind after a signed agreement. Even in amicable splits, a one-hour consultation often changes the outcome meaningfully.
- 6
Protect children from the paperwork
Courts take badly to one parent involving the kids in the legal process. Save adult conversations for adult hours, and document any agreements about parenting time in writing only.
Common questions about divorce documents
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Upload your divorce documents and get a plain-language breakdown of what's proposed.
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