Sources & Methodology

Primary Legal Sources

Our guides are built on primary legal sources — the official documents and publications that establish and explain the law. These include:

• State statutes and family codes — The laws enacted by state legislatures that define the rules governing divorce, custody, child support, property division, adoption, and other family law matters. We reference the specific code sections that apply to each topic.
• State judiciary websites — Official court system websites that publish procedural information, including filing requirements, fee schedules, required forms, and self-help legal resources.
• Official child support guidelines — State-published guidelines, worksheets, and calculation formulas used to determine child support obligations. These are typically published by the state judiciary or department of human services.
• Court forms and instructions — Official forms and filing instructions published by state courts. These documents reflect the actual process that litigants follow and provide accurate procedural detail.
• Government agency publications — Materials published by state agencies responsible for family law administration, including departments of health and human services, child support enforcement agencies, and vital records offices.

Secondary Sources

When primary sources need additional context or explanation, we consult the following secondary sources:

• State bar association publications — Educational materials and public-facing resources published by state bar associations. These often provide accessible explanations of legal concepts and processes.
• Legal aid organizations — Nonprofit legal aid organizations that publish guides and resources for self-represented litigants. These sources are typically reviewed by attorneys and focused on practical, accurate guidance.
• Government educational resources — Legal education materials published by government agencies, courts, or publicly funded legal information programs.

How Citations Are Verified

Our citation verification process is designed to ensure that sources referenced in our guides meet our accuracy standards:

1. Source identification — We identify the specific statute section, court rule, or official publication that supports each claim.
2. Authority check — We verify that the source is published by an official government entity, recognized legal organization, or other authoritative body.
3. Currency check — We confirm that the source reflects current law and avoid citing superseded statutes, outdated court rules, and expired guidelines.
4. Relevance check — We ensure that each source is cited in the correct jurisdiction and context. A California statute is not cited for a Texas guide.

Accuracy Standards

We strive to maintain the following accuracy standards across all content:

• Official sources first — Government and judicial sources are always preferred over secondary or commercial sources.
• No unofficial sources — We do not cite personal blogs, forums, social media posts, or other unverifiable sources.
• No fabricated citations — If a reliable source cannot be identified for a specific claim, we omit the claim or note that requirements vary and recommend consulting an attorney.
• State specificity — State-specific claims are sourced to that state's laws and official resources. We do not generalize across states without noting the variation.
• Ranges and estimates — When we provide cost ranges, timelines, or other estimates, we clearly label them as approximations and note that actual values vary by jurisdiction and circumstance.

For more about our editorial standards, see our editorial policy. To learn about our review and update process, see our review process page.