Review Process

Research Methodology

Every guide on Unvow begins with primary legal research. Our process is designed to produce content that is accurate, comprehensive, and accessible to non-lawyers.

For each topic, we start by identifying the specific statutes, court rules, and official guidelines that govern the subject in the relevant jurisdiction. We then review official government resources — including judiciary websites, court filing instructions, and published guideline documents — to understand how the law is applied in practice.

Primary Legal Sources Used

Our research prioritizes the following categories of sources, listed in order of preference:

1. State statutes and family codes — The actual laws governing divorce, custody, child support, property division, and other family law topics in each state.
2. Official judiciary websites — State court systems publish filing procedures, required forms, fee schedules, and self-help resources that we reference for procedural accuracy.
3. Official child support guidelines — State-published guideline documents, worksheets, and calculation methodologies used to determine support obligations.
4. Court forms and filing instructions — Official documents published by state courts that describe the step-by-step process for filing.
5. State bar association publications — When primary sources need additional context, we reference educational materials published by state bar associations and legal aid organizations.

Fact-Checking Process

Before publication, each guide undergoes the following verification steps:

• Source verification — Factual claims are traced to authoritative sources. We verify that cited statutes, filing fees, waiting periods, and procedural requirements match current official information.
• Cross-referencing — Where possible, key facts are checked against multiple sources for consistency. If sources conflict, we note the discrepancy or rely on the most authoritative source.
• State-specificity check — For state-specific guides, we verify that all information applies to the correct jurisdiction. Family law varies significantly between states, and we take care not to conflate rules from different states.
• Plain-language review — After fact-checking, the content is reviewed for clarity to ensure it accurately communicates legal concepts without distortion.

How Articles Are Reviewed

Each article goes through a structured review cycle:

1. Initial research and drafting — The article is researched and written based on authoritative sources.
2. Accuracy review — Facts, figures, and legal claims are verified against primary sources.
3. Editorial review — The article is reviewed for clarity, completeness, and consistency with our editorial standards.
4. Publication — The article is published with its initial publication date and "last updated" date clearly displayed.

How Updates Are Applied

Family law is not static. States regularly update their statutes, modify filing fees, change court procedures, and revise support guidelines. Our update process addresses this in several ways:

• Periodic reviews — Articles are reviewed on a regular cycle to check for changes in the underlying law.
• Event-driven updates — When we become aware of significant legislative changes, we update affected articles promptly.
• Date transparency — Every article displays its last-updated date so readers can assess how current the information is.
• Revision scope — When an article is updated, we note the date of the update. Minor corrections (typos, formatting) do not change the update date; substantive changes do.

For more information about our editorial standards, see our editorial policy. To understand how we select and evaluate sources, see our sources methodology.