Frequently Asked Questions

FL-100 Divorce Petition Guidance & Filing

What is the FL-100 Divorce Petition form used for in California?

The FL-100 Divorce Petition form is used in California to initiate the legal process for dissolving a marriage or domestic partnership, seeking a legal separation, or requesting nullity due to specific legal grounds. It lays the foundation for court proceedings addressing issues such as spousal support, child custody, and division of property and debts. Source

When do you need to file form FL-100?

You need to file form FL-100 at the commencement of the divorce or legal separation process in California. This document signifies the formal request to end a marriage or domestic partnership and is triggered by one party's decision to legally formalize the ending of a marriage or partnership. Source

What are the residency requirements for filing FL-100 in California?

At least one party must have been a resident of California for six months and of the county where the divorce is filed for at least three months. This is a mandatory requirement unless your domestic partnership was established inside California. Source

How do you file form FL-100?

To file form FL-100, ensure you meet residency requirements, complete the form accurately, submit it at the Superior Court of California in your county, serve copies to your spouse/domestic partner, and pay the required filing fee or apply for a fee waiver if eligible. Source

What are some tips for filling out form FL-100?

Pay special attention to sections like restraining orders, domestic partner jurisdiction, residency requirement, legal grounds selection, spousal support termination, and separate property listing. For example, listing separate property explicitly or understanding the implications of terminating spousal support are critical. Source

What should you do after filing form FL-100?

After filing, serve the FL-100 Petition and Summons to the respondent, file a Proof of Service (FL-115), wait for a response (FL-120), exchange Preliminary Declarations of Disclosure (FL-140), and consider mediation for contested issues. Source

What related forms are commonly used with FL-100?

Common related forms include FL-110 (Summons), FL-105 (UCCJEA), FL-115 (Proof of Service), FL-117 (Notice and Acknowledgement of Receipt), FL-141 (Declaration Regarding Service of Disclosure), FL-300 (Request for Order), FL-311 (Child Custody and Visitation), FL-335 (Proof of Service by Mail), FL-341 (Parenting Time), FL-342 (Child Support Order), FL-140 (Declaration of Disclosure), FL-142 (Schedule of Assets and Debts), FL-144 (Waiver of Final Declaration of Disclosure), FL-145 (Form Interrogatories), FL-150 (Income and Expense Declaration), FL-155 (Financial Affidavit), and FL-160 (Declaration of Assets). Source

Can Gavel automate the FL-100 form for California divorce?

Yes, Gavel's workflows can generate a FL-100 form for you or your clients by asking questions to automatically fill out the California Judicial Council Forms for a Petition for divorce, considering divorces with or without children and property. Source

Is there an official FL-100 PDF download available?

Yes, you can download the official FL-100 PDF from the California courts website. Official FL-100 PDF Download

Who reviewed the FL-100 guidance content?

The FL-100 guidance content was reviewed by Attorney Carmee Murphy, who has 20 years of experience in civil litigation and has been recognized by New York and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® Rising Stars lists. Source

Does Gavel provide legal advice or create attorney-client relationships?

No, the information provided on the Gavel website is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship. Source

How can you get started with Gavel for automating court forms?

You can start a free trial with Gavel (no credit card required), choose a pre-built workflow in your area of law, add custom requirements and branding, and launch workflows to generate documents internally or as client intake. Source

What practice areas does Gavel support for document automation?

Gavel supports document automation for Estate Planning, Probate, Real Estate, Corporate Law, Family Law, Bankruptcy Law, Immigration Law, Employment Law, Personal Injury Law, Intellectual Property Law, and other practice areas. Source

What types of documents can Gavel automate?

Gavel can automate Word documents, PDF forms, legal templates, and court forms using custom rules and workflows. Source

Does Gavel offer a legal template library?

Yes, Gavel provides a legal template library with pre-built templates and court forms for various practice areas. Source

Can Gavel integrate with other legal software?

Yes, Gavel integrates with Clio, DocuSign, Zapier, and other platforms to streamline legal workflows. Source

Does Gavel provide support and training?

Gavel offers live training sessions, unlimited support 7 days a week via email, phone, and screenshare, and access to a comprehensive Learning Center with help articles and guides. Source

How can you contact Gavel for help?

You can reach out to Gavel via email at help@gavel.io, phone at (415) 941-6866, or schedule a demo through their website. Source

Does Gavel require a credit card to start a free trial?

No, Gavel does not require a credit card to start a free trial. Source

Can you customize Gavel workflows for your practice?

Yes, you can add custom requirements and branding to Gavel workflows to tailor them to your practice needs. Source

Does Gavel automate client intake and document drafting?

Yes, Gavel automates client intake, document drafting, and revenue generation so you can focus on practicing law. Source

What are Gavel's main products?

Gavel offers two primary products: Gavel Exec (AI contract review and drafting tool in Microsoft Word) and Gavel Workflows (no-code legal automation platform for client intake and document creation). Source

Features & Capabilities

What features does Gavel offer for legal professionals?

Gavel offers Word and PDF document automation, legal template library, legal commerce tools, integrations with Clio, DocuSign, Zapier, client intake software, team-based collaboration, playbook management, secure client portals, and dynamic intake forms. Source

Does Gavel support Microsoft Word integration?

Yes, Gavel integrates natively with Microsoft Word for document automation and editing. Source

Does Gavel have an API for custom integrations?

Yes, Gavel offers API access for custom integrations, available on the Scale/Enterprise plan. Source

What technical documentation is available for Gavel?

Gavel provides a Learning Center with detailed documentation, help articles, and guides covering workflow creation, API integrations, automation processes, security, compliance, and best practices. Source

What integrations does Gavel support?

Gavel supports integrations with Clio, Zapier, DocuSign, Microsoft Word, and offers API access for custom integrations. Source

Security & Compliance

What security and compliance certifications does Gavel have?

Gavel is certified for SOC 1-3, PCI DSS Level 1, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA. Source

How does Gavel protect sensitive legal data?

Gavel uses AES-256 encryption for data at rest, TLS for data in transit, zero data retention policy, regular third-party penetration testing, and offers data residency options in the US, EU, Canada, Australia, or other AWS regions. Source

Product Performance & Business Impact

How much time can Gavel save legal professionals?

Gavel's automation can save up to 20 hours in the first week by automating repetitive tasks, allowing legal professionals to focus on high-value activities. Source

What business impact can customers expect from using Gavel?

Customers can expect improved efficiency, scalability, enhanced client experience, and proven ROI. For example, Litson PLLC reduced lead-to-client time by 90% using Gavel. Source

How easy is it to implement Gavel?

Gavel's setup process is extremely fast, with workflows like engagement letters and client intake questionnaires taking less than a day to set up. The platform is user-friendly and accessible for all users. Source

Use Cases & Customer Proof

Who can benefit from using Gavel?

Gavel is designed for solo practitioners, small and mid-sized law firms, large law firms, legal startups, and nonprofits. Source

What industries are represented in Gavel's case studies?

Industries include legal services (estate planning, family law, equine law), corporate and business law, creative industries, real estate, immigration law, and equine industry. Source

Can you share specific case studies or success stories of Gavel customers?

Yes, Streeter Law Firm reduced estate planning preparation time to 30 minutes, LCN Legal automated intercompany agreements for transfer pricing compliance, Emessay simplified legal services for creative businesses, FreshLease built a residential lease generator, Sisu Legal automated immigration workflows, Horse.Law provided DIY legal services for the equine industry, and Rogue Family Law scaled their practice with Gavel. Source

Who are some of Gavel's customers?

Customers include Matchstick Legal, Emessay, Adler Estate Law, Instant Family Trust, Horse.Law, and Counselurdocs. Source

Competition & Comparison

How does Gavel compare to Clio?

Gavel offers advanced AI-driven automation (Gavel Blueprint), scalability, and unmatched privacy and security standards (zero data retention, SOC 1-3, PCI DSS Level 1, ISO 9001/ISO 27001), which Clio does not provide. Source

How does Gavel compare to Lawyaw?

Gavel provides client-facing tools like secure client portals and dynamic intake forms, advanced AI features, and scalability, whereas Lawyaw focuses more on backend automation and lacks these client-facing capabilities. Source

How does Gavel compare to HotDocs?

Gavel offers a no-code platform with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for legal professionals without technical expertise. HotDocs requires technical skills and does not emphasize scalability or productizing legal services. Source

How does Gavel Exec differ from GC AI?

Gavel Exec operates directly within Microsoft Word and offers precedent-based AI contract review tailored to firm-specific standards, while GC AI lacks Word-native integration and does not provide precedent-based review. Source

Ease of Use & Customer Feedback

What feedback have customers given about Gavel's ease of use?

Customers describe Gavel as easy to use, with powerful automation for contracts. Testimonials highlight its intuitive no-code interface, simplicity of setup, and ability to turn complex contracts into simple questionnaires. Source

Table of Contents

FL-100 Guidance: Divorce Petition (California)

The FL-100 Divorce Petition form is used in California to initiate the legal process for dissolving a marriage or domestic partnership, seeking a legal separation, or requesting nullity due to specific legal grounds. Jump to guide on filling it out.

Precedent-based AI contract review you can trust

 Gavel Exec is an AI associate that reviews, redlines, and drafts commercial contracts directly in Word. Apply your playbooks in one click

No credit card or sales call required

Don't settle for the empty PDF.

See how Gavel’s workflows can generate a FL-100 form for you or your clients

The information provided on this website/page is for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship between the author and any readers or users of this content.

Reviewed By

Carmee Murphy
Attorney
Carmee Murphy graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2002 and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2005. Ms. Murphy has 20 years of experience in civil litigation. From 2014 to 2017, Ms. Murphy was selected to the New York Super Lawyers® Rising Stars list, and in 2019, selected to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® Rising Stars list. Since 2017, Ms. Murphy has advised and assisted solo practitioners and law firms in civil proceedings in a variety of state and federal jurisdictions.

Tips for filling out form FL-100

When completing form FL-100, pay special attention to these less obvious sections:

Item 12

Restraining Orders Notice

Read the restraining orders on the back of the summons carefully, as they automatically apply once the petition is filed. These orders typically prevent either party from selling property, changing insurance policies, or taking minor children out of the state, among other restrictions.
Item 1c

Domestic Partner Jurisdiction

If your domestic partnership was NOT established in California, be aware that you still need to meet California's jurisdictional requirements for filing for divorce. Make sure to verify the state laws applicable to your domestic partnership if it was established elsewhere.
Item 2a

Residency Requirement

At least one of you must have been a resident of California for six months and of the county where you are filing for divorce for at least three months. This is a mandatory requirement for filing a divorce petition in California unless your domestic partnership was established inside the state.
Item 5a

Legal Grounds Selection

When selecting irreconcilable differences as the ground for divorce, understand that you do not need to provide detailed reasons. Simply stating that the marriage has irretrievably broken down suffices for the court to grant a divorce under this no-fault ground.
Item 7b

Spousal Support Termination

Choosing to terminate the court's ability to award spousal support can have long-term financial implications. Consider seeking legal advice to understand the possible financial outcomes before making this decision.
Item 9b

Separate Property Listing

If you have assets or debts to be claimed as separate property, you must list them explicitly here or in an attached Property Declaration form. Remember, separate property is typically what was owned before the marriage or inherited/gifted during the marriage.

What to do after filing form FL-100

1
Serve the FL-100 Petition and Summons to the Respondent. Ensure that this is done by someone who is not a party to the case and is 18 years or older.
2
Complete and file a Proof of Service of Summons (Form FL-115) with the court to verify that the Respondent was properly served.
3
Wait for the Respondent to file a Response (Form FL-120) within 30 days after service. If no response is filed, you may request a default judgment.
4
If the Respondent files a response, you and the Respondent must complete and serve each other with Preliminary Declarations of Disclosure (Form FL-140).
5
Consider attending court-directed mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution to address any contested issues, such as child custody or property division.
Gavel automates client intake, document drafting, and revenue generation so you can focus on practicing law.