By Evan Weinstein

When you’ve decided to move forward with a divorce in New Jersey, one of the forms you’ll be required to complete is the Family Part Case Information Statement (CIS). The CIS gives everyone involved —you, your spouse, attorneys, the mediator, and judge — an understanding of your family’s overall financial picture. Family courts use the CIS to determine how issues like child support, spousal support, and division of assets will be resolved, and completing the form gives you 1) a ballpark estimate on what you will need to maintain your lifestyle after the divorce; and 2) an opportunity to advocate for yourself and your dependents. If you are not the one who handles the finances in your relationship, this may be the first time you get a real understanding of where and how money is spent. Therefore, the more accurate and detailed your CIS, the easier it will be for your attorney to guide you to your best possible outcome.

CIS Sections Explained

Once you and your spouse have submitted the Complaint for Divorce and answering pleadings in family court, you will need to complete the CIS. Although you can complete the form on your own, we recommend consulting your family law attorney and completing it with their guidance. There is a good deal of information required and your attorney will work with you to ensure the CIS is complete and accurate. Additionally, they can amend the document as required to reflect changes in your “marital standard of living.” You’ll be required to swear to the document’s accuracy, so having a family law attorney familiar with completing, submitting, and amending a CIS is critical. 

The CIS consists of seven sections, briefly explained below:

• Part A: Family Information. This includes basic information about you and other members of your household, the relationships, dependents, and any existing agreements between you and your spouse.
• Part B: Employment and Legal Actions. This includes employment information for you and your spouse, along with all prior/pending family actions involving support, custody, or allegations of domestic violence.
• Part C: Income. What have you and your spouse earned over the past year and through the current year to date? You may need to consult your tax professional to get prior year returns, W2s, pay stubs and more.
• Part D: Expenses. This section details expenses related to shelter, transportation, and personal expenses, both current and anticipated (for example, if you will need to purchase your own health insurance post-divorce). Also consider expenses paid in cash or via cash app (like Venmo), charitable contributions, and monthly saving to an individual or joint savings account.
• Part E: Assets and Liabilities. This is the most detailed section of the CIS, requiring a statement of assets and liabilities for you as a couple and separately, including: 
  
  • Real property
  • Bank accounts, CDs
  • Vehicles
  • Tangible personal property
  • Stocks, bonds, and securities
  • Pension, profit sharing, retirement plans, 401(k)s
  • IRAs
  • Businesses, partnerships, professional practices
  • Life insurance
  • Loans receivable
  • Real estate mortgages
  • Other long-term debt
  • Revolving charges
  • Other short-term debt
  • Contingent liabilities
    
    
• Part F: Narrative Statement. This section gives you the chance to detail any special issues involved in the divorce (e.g., a family member who requires specialized or ongoing medical treatment). 
• Part G: Completion Checklist. This details everything you will need to submit with the CIS.

Going through a divorce is stressful, but working with your family law attorney to submit a thorough and complete CIS form can help ensure you and your dependents can live your best lives after the divorce is granted. Learn more about how Weinstein Family Law can help you with your divorce by contacting me, Evan Weinstein, at eweinstein@familylawnj.com or  (973) 403-6000.