Family Law Interrogatories (FL-145): Cost-Effective Discovery

Family Law Form Interrogatories: Seeking Information In Family Law Cases

Posted May 7, 2024

When clients seek legal help, they often lack a complete understanding of marital assets, liabilities, or their spouse’s financial situation. Others may know what they need to prove but lack the evidence to support their claims.

This information often isn’t included in the Declarations of Disclosure. So, what can you do?

The answer lies in Discovery, a set of tools to gather evidence in family law cases. These tools include Requests for Admissions, Subpoenas, Depositions, and—our focus here—Family Law Form Interrogatories.

What Are Family Law Form Interrogatories?

Family Law Form Interrogatories are standardized questions established by the Judicial Council, available on form FL-145. You can select all or specific questions on the form before serving it to the opposing party.

These interrogatories allow you to:

Gather facts and evidence to evaluate your case.
Prepare for trial or settlement discussions.
Obtain written, under-oath responses from the other party.

Benefits and Limitations

Benefits:

Efficiency: Pre-written questions save time compared to drafting custom demands.
Ease of Use: Straightforward format simplifies the discovery process.
Supplemental Discovery: Ideal for obtaining additional details after reviewing declarations of disclosure.

Limitations:

Lack of Customization: Questions cannot be tailored to your specific case.
Broad Scope: May not address every discovery need.

Strategic Use of Interrogatories

Form Interrogatories are often used alongside other discovery tools, such as:

Requests for Admissions
Demands for Documents
Subpoenas
Depositions

Your attorney can help you decide when and how to use interrogatories to maximize efficiency and minimize costs. They will develop a strategy tailored to your case.

Know Your Rights

Understanding your options is essential in divorce, child custody, and domestic violence cases. Our team at Naimish & Lewis can guide you through every step of the process.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

Robert J. Allison, Esq.

Mr. Allison is a resolution-oriented associate attorney in our Family Law Practice. Even-keeled and fact focused, he is able to assist our clients understand their rights and obligations through the stress and smoke and mirrors presented in their divorce, custody, and domestic violence matters. During the initial consultation, and again once facts and evidence have been collected, Mr. Allison provides various strategies to help clients present their cases, considering cost, time, and client needs. He prides himself in not making false promises to his clients and is unafraid to speak the raw and sometimes harsh reality of how a Court will decide a matter given a specific set of facts and circumstances, both to his clients and to opposing parties. Many potential clients share that they are unhappy with their previous attorneys because they felt a lack of communication, an uncertainty about the family law process and timeline, and they do not understand the strategy in their case or the invoices they receive. While the legal process is complex, Mr. Allison attempts to reduce the confusion through a reasonable case management process involving client participation, because a family law case is often the most difficult period of time in a client’s life.