NALA ACP - Family Law study plan

Distinguish separate property from marital property and classify 25 hypothetical assets under an equitable distribution statute

Identify the three most common equitable distribution factors in your jurisdiction and explain how each shifts an award

Draft a one-page checklist for reviewing a premarital or marital settlement agreement for procedural and substantive validity

Map the grounds for divorce (fault and no-fault) and match each ground to the evidence it requires

Explain the difference between jurisdiction and venue in a divorce case and list the residency requirements a client must meet

Outline the statutory requirements for a valid premarital agreement, including disclosure, voluntariness, and enforcement limits

Prepare a timeline template for tracing commingled separate property through bank and brokerage records

Summarize the legal standards for legal custody, physical custody, and parenting time in your jurisdiction

Draft a parenting plan skeleton covering school, medical, holiday, and communication provisions

Explain how a court applies the best-interests factors and identify which factors require documentary proof

Apply the child support guideline formula to three fact patterns with differing custody splits and income levels

Identify what counts as income for support purposes, including overtime, bonuses, self-employment, and imputed income

Explain how a deviation from the guideline amount is requested and justified

Describe the procedures for establishing, modifying, and enforcing a support order, including income withholding and contempt

List the documents needed to prove a substantial change in circumstances for a modification motion

Compare the alimony types available in your jurisdiction and the factors that set amount and duration

Explain how the alimony tax treatment works for orders entered under current federal rules

Draft a modification motion outline for both spousal and child support with the required factual allegations

Identify the enforcement remedies for unpaid support and rank them by speed and cost

Explain when support terminates by operation of law versus by court order

Draft a set of 10 interrogatories and 10 requests for production tailored to a divorce and custody case

Explain the scope of discovery, privilege, and work-product protection as applied to family law records

Build a document management scheme with naming conventions, a privilege log, and a production index

Outline the components of a petition and a responsive pleading in a divorce case

Prepare a hearing binder checklist covering exhibits, witness list, and direct examination outlines

Distinguish tasks a paralegal may perform from those reserved to the attorney, using at least 10 concrete examples

Explain the rules on confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and communication with a represented party

Draft a client intake form that captures jurisdiction facts, assets, children, and safety concerns

Conduct a mock intake interview and produce a case assessment memo with a preliminary issue list

Identify red flags for domestic violence, hidden assets, and jurisdictional problems during intake

Compare mediation, arbitration, and collaborative practice on cost, confidentiality, and enforceability

Explain how a mediated settlement agreement becomes an enforceable order

Draft a settlement term sheet covering property, support, and custody

Review the jurisdictional rules for interstate custody and support cases, including the home state concept

Explain how venue is challenged and what happens when a case is filed in the wrong county

Complete two full-length timed practice exams and score above 80 percent on each

Review every missed question and write a one-line rule statement for each error

Recite the key statutes and factors for each domain from memory in a self-quiz

Build a one-page master sheet of the most testable rules across all domains