20 ChatGPT prompts for lawyers in family law

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law.

Analyze the following financial situation in the context of a divorce:

- Matrimonial regime: [statutory community reduced to acquisitions / separation of property / universal community / participation in acquisitions]
- Date of marriage: [date]
- Spouse A's separate estate: [detail: real estate, accounts, securities, assets received by gift or inheritance]
- Spouse B's separate estate: [same]
- Identified community assets: [detail]
- Debts: [detail, specifying their separate or community nature]

Produce a structured analysis:
1. Qualification of the assets (separate / community) in light of the applicable matrimonial regime
2. Any compensations (récompenses) owed by or to the community
3. Estate to be divided and projected composition
4. Points of vigilance and litigation risks

For each qualification, cite the applicable articles of the Civil Code. If an asset raises a qualification problem (separate asset financed with community funds, capital gain on a separate asset, etc.), flag it explicitly and set out the two possible positions.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law.

From the following situation, structure a complete divorce strategy:

- Factual situation: [pseudonymized summary: length of marriage, children, grounds for separation, professional situation of each spouse]
- Matrimonial regime: [specify]
- Identified urgencies: [violence, dissipation of assets, leaving the marital home, etc.]

Analyze and propose:
1. The most suitable type of divorce (mutual consent art. 229-1, accepted, definitive breakdown of the conjugal bond, fault) — justify your choice
2. The procedure to follow step by step
3. The interim measures to request under article 254 et seq. of the Civil Code (use of the marital home, maintenance under the duty of support, children's residence, etc.)
4. The priority negotiation points and the concessions that could be considered
5. The pitfalls to avoid and the procedural risks

If the situation suggests that several types of divorce are conceivable, compare them in terms of timeframe, cost and risk.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law.

Draft a draft mutual-consent divorce agreement (articles 229-1 and 229-3 of the Civil Code) from the following information:

- Spouse A: [age, profession, net monthly income]
- Spouse B: [age, profession, net monthly income]
- Children: [number, ages]
- Matrimonial regime: [specify]
- Agreement on children's residence: [usual residence / alternating]
- Maintenance contemplated: [amount or to be determined]
- Compensatory allowance: [yes/no, contemplated amount]
- Fate of the marital home: [sale / award / use]
- Other agreements: [specify]

The agreement must comply with the formal requirements of article 229-3 of the Civil Code:
1. All mandatory mentions
2. The information on the 15-day cooling-off period
3. The procedures for filing with the notary's records
4. The consequences of the divorce for each spouse and for the children

Flag any point that could lead the notary to refuse the filing or that could weaken the agreement.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law.

My client wishes to bring divorce proceedings on the grounds of fault (article 242 of the Civil Code). Here are the facts:

- Length of marriage: [duration]
- Alleged misconduct: [describe the pseudonymized facts: adultery, violence, desertion of the home, breaches of the obligations of marriage, etc.]
- Available evidence: [list: attestations, bailiff's reports, SMS/emails, medical certificates, police logbook entry, etc.]
- Points the other spouse might raise: [if known]

Analyze:
1. The characterization of the serious or repeated violation of the duties and obligations of marriage making the continuation of life together intolerable (art. 242)
2. The admissibility and probative force of each item of evidence
3. The arguments to develop in the writ of summons
4. The grounds of defense the other party might raise and how to respond to them
5. The advisability of a counterclaim and the risks of a divorce on the grounds of shared fault

Cite the relevant articles of the Civil Code and case law. If you are not certain of a case-law reference, flag it.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law.

My client wishes to obtain alternating residence for their children (article 373-2-9 of the Civil Code). Here is the situation:

- Children: [number, ages]
- Current situation: [who has residence? since when?]
- Geographical proximity of the homes: [distance, travel time, school]
- Availability of each parent: [work hours, organization]
- Parent-child relationship: [objective factors]
- Position of the other parent: [favorable / unfavorable / unknown]
- Points to flag: [parental conflict, allegations, social investigation underway, etc.]

Draft a structured argument grounded in the best interests of the child, developing:
1. The criteria adopted by the case law of the 1st Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation for granting alternating residence
2. How my client's situation meets those criteria
3. The opposing party's foreseeable objections and the responses to provide
4. The complementary measures to propose (mediation, trial period, practical arrangements)

If the children's age or the distance between the homes makes alternating residence risky, say so honestly.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law.

Calculate the foreseeable amount of child maintenance (contribution to the upbringing and education of the children, article 371-2 of the Civil Code) in the following situation:

- Net monthly income of the paying parent: [amount]
- Net monthly income of the receiving parent: [amount]
- Number of dependent children: [number]
- Residence arrangement: [usual residence with one parent / alternating residence / standard visitation rights / extended visitation rights]
- Particular expenses: [childcare, private school, extracurricular activities, specific medical costs]
- Other dependent children of the debtor: [yes/no, number]

Carry out:
1. A detailed calculation applying the French Ministry of Justice reference table (indicative scale)
2. An adjustment in light of the particular expenses flagged
3. A low / medium / high range based on court practice
4. An estimate of the annual indexation

State that the reference table is indicative and that the judge has sovereign discretionary power. Show the step-by-step detail of the calculation.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law.

My client wishes to obtain a modification of the residence arrangements and/or of the visitation and accommodation rights (article 373-2-13 of the Civil Code). Here is the situation:

- Current decision: [residence with whom, visitation rights in force, date of the decision]
- New element justifying the modification: [relocation, change in professional situation, the child's changing age, failure of the other parent, etc.]
- What my client is requesting: [primary residence / alternating / extended visitation rights / restriction of the opposing party's visitation rights]
- Available evidence: [list]

Draft:
1. The legal argument demonstrating the existence of a new element within the meaning of article 373-2-13
2. A draft petition for modification addressed to the family-affairs judge
3. The list of documents to attach in support of the request
4. The opposing party's foreseeable arguments and the responses

Recall that the judge rules on the basis of the best interests of the child and that the burden of proving the new element falls on the petitioner.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law and a specialist in domestic violence.

My client needs a protection order (articles 515-9 to 515-13 of the Civil Code). Here is the situation:

- Relationship with the perpetrator of the violence: [spouse / former spouse / cohabitant / civil-partnership (PACS) partner]
- Nature of the alleged violence: [physical, psychological, economic, sexual]
- Timeline of the facts: [key dates, escalation]
- Available evidence: [medical certificates, work-incapacity certificate (ITT), police logbook entry, complaint, attestations, SMS/emails, photos]
- Children exposed: [yes/no, ages]
- Emergency situation: [describe]

Prepare:
1. The argument on the plausibility of the alleged violence (the protection order's standard of proof)
2. The demonstration of the danger to which the victim or the children are exposed
3. The measures to request from the judge (prohibition on making contact, eviction from the home, exercise of parental authority, wearing of an electronic device, etc.)
4. A reminder of the 6-day time limit for the delivery of the order
5. The next steps to consider (renewal, parallel criminal proceedings)

Be precise about the standard of proof: the protection order does not require proof of the violence, only its plausibility.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law.

Assess the foreseeable amount of a compensatory allowance (article 271 of the Civil Code) in the following situation:

- Length of marriage: [duration]
- Age of each spouse: [ages]
- State of health: [if relevant]
- Qualifications and professional situation of each spouse: [detail]
- Net monthly income of each spouse: [amounts]
- Separate and community estate of each spouse: [detail]
- Career choices tied to the marriage: [did one spouse sacrifice their career?]
- Pension rights: [estimate if available]

Analyze each criterion of article 271 of the Civil Code and produce:
1. An assessment of the disparity in the respective living conditions
2. A low / medium / high range for the amount of the compensatory allowance
3. The most suitable form (capital art. 270 / annuity art. 276 / mixed) with justification
4. The arguments to develop to maximize (or minimize, depending on which side) the amount

Show the step-by-step reasoning. State that the judge has sovereign discretionary power.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law and in the liquidation of matrimonial regimes.

Liquidate the following matrimonial regime:

- Regime: [community reduced to acquisitions / universal community / separation of property / participation in acquisitions]
- Inventory of assets:
  • Separate assets of spouse A: [detail with values]
  • Separate assets of spouse B: [detail with values]
  • Community assets: [detail with values]
- Debts: [detail, specify separate or community]
- Cross-financing: [separate asset financed with community funds, improvement of a separate asset, etc.]

Carry out:
1. The qualification of each asset (separate / community) with reference to the applicable articles
2. The calculation of the compensations (récompenses) owed by or to the community (articles 1433 and 1437 of the Civil Code)
3. The composition of the estate to be divided
4. The calculation of any balancing payment (soulte) if a preferential award is requested
5. The points of dispute and the division alternatives

Present the calculations in table form. If a qualification is contestable, set out the two positions.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law and a specialist in the law of filiation.

My client wishes to contest a filiation (article 332 et seq. of the Civil Code). Here is the situation:

- Type of filiation contested: [paternity / maternity]
- Mode of establishment of the filiation: [presumption of paternity / acknowledgment / possession of status (possession d'état)]
- Who is contesting: [the legal father / the mother / the child / the alleged biological father / the public prosecutor]
- Child's date of birth: [date]
- Date of the acknowledgment or of the marriage: [if applicable]
- Factual elements: [describe, pseudonymized]
- Biological evidence: [DNA test available? already carried out?]

Analyze:
1. The admissibility of the action (standing to sue, 10-year limitation period, starting point)
2. The substantive conditions of the contestation
3. The role of biological evidence and the conditions for requesting it in court
4. The consequences of the contestation (loss of filiation, surname, parental authority, maintenance obligations, inheritance rights)
5. The best interests of the child as a possible limit on the contestation

Flag whether the limitation period has run out or risks doing so. Cite the applicable articles of the Civil Code.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law and a specialist in adoption.

Prepare an adoption file from the following information (article 343 et seq. of the Civil Code):

- Type of adoption sought: [full / simple]
- Adopter(s): [single person / married couple / partners / cohabitants — age(s)]
- Adoptee: [minor / adult — age, relationship with the adopter if any]
- Context: [intrafamily adoption (the spouse's child) / adoption of a ward of the State / international adoption / other]
- Approval (agrément): [obtained / in progress / not requested]

Detail:
1. The applicable legal conditions (age conditions, age difference, required consents)
2. The procedure to follow step by step (petition, documents, hearing)
3. The effects of the adoption (full vs simple: severance or maintenance of the original parent-child bond, surname, parental authority, inheritance rights)
4. The foreseeable difficulties and the solutions

If the chosen type of adoption does not match the situation, suggest the most suitable alternative.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law.

My client wishes to obtain a revision of child maintenance (contribution to the upbringing and education of the children). Here is the situation:

- Current amount of the maintenance: [monthly amount]
- Date of the decision setting the maintenance: [date]
- New fact justifying the revision: [job loss, increase in the other parent's income, change of residence, child reaching majority while continuing studies, change in the child's needs, etc.]
- Debtor's current income: [amount]
- Creditor's current income: [amount]
- Change in the child's needs: [detail]

Draft:
1. The legal argument characterizing the new fact (article 1289 of the Code of Civil Procedure)
2. An updated calculation of the maintenance applying the French Ministry of Justice reference table
3. A draft petition for revision addressed to the family-affairs judge
4. The before/after comparison in table form

State that the revision cannot apply retroactively before the date of the request.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law.

Analyze a situation of maintenance obligation between ascendants and descendants (articles 205 to 207 of the Civil Code):

- Who is requesting: [elderly parent / grandparents / adult child in need]
- From whom: [children / grandchildren / parents]
- Requester's situation: [age, state of health, resources, expenses, assets]
- Situation of the potential debtors: [number of co-obligors, respective resources]
- Particular factors: [family estrangement, abandonment in childhood, unworthiness, etc.]

Produce:
1. The analysis of the creditor's state of need (reality and proportionality)
2. The allocation of the obligation among the co-obligors (in proportion to their respective resources)
3. The examination of the grounds for exemption (article 207 paragraph 2: serious failure by the creditor in their obligations toward the debtor)
4. The calculation of the foreseeable amount of the contribution
5. The procedure to follow (referral to the family-affairs judge)

Flag whether a ground for exemption appears applicable in light of the facts described.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law and in the protection of adults.

Determine the most suitable legal protection measure (article 430 of the Civil Code) in the following situation:

- Person to be protected: [age, condition or impairment of faculties]
- Degree of impairment: [total loss of autonomy / partially impaired faculties / temporary impairment]
- Assets: [significance, complexity of management]
- Family circle: [presence / absence / conflicts]
- Measures already in place: [family authorization, future protection mandate, power of attorney, none]
- Detailed medical certificate: [obtained / to be obtained]

Analyze:
1. The most suitable measure (judicial safeguard / simple or enhanced curatorship / guardianship) and the principle of subsidiarity
2. The non-judicial alternatives to rule out or favor (family authorization, future protection mandate)
3. The procedure for referral to the guardianship judge and the necessary documents (including the detailed medical certificate from a doctor on the prosecutor's list)
4. The choice of guardian/curator and the rules of appointment
5. The concrete effects of the measure on the person's legal capacity

Stress the principles of necessity, subsidiarity and proportionality.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law and in the protection of adults.

My client wishes to contest or change a guardianship measure. Here is the situation:

- Measure in force: [guardianship / curatorship / judicial safeguard]
- Date of the decision: [date]
- Current guardian/curator: [family member / professional (court-appointed guardian, MJPM)]
- Grounds for the contestation: [improvement in state of health / disproportionate measure / failure of the guardian / conflict of interest / abuse]
- Evidence: [recent medical certificate, witness statements, etc.]

Analyze the avenues for appeal and change:
1. The lifting of the measure (article 442 of the Civil Code): conditions and procedure
2. The replacement of the guardian/curator (article 451): grounds and procedure
3. The easing of the measure (moving from guardianship to curatorship, from enhanced curatorship to simple, etc.)
4. The five-yearly review (5-year period) and the obligation to re-examine
5. The avenues for appeal against the guardianship judge's decision

Detail the most relevant strategy in light of the situation described.

You are a family law lawyer. You must explain a judgment of the family-affairs judge to your client, who has no legal background.

The judgment:
[Paste the pseudonymized judgment]

Draft an explanation:
1. In simple, empathetic language (no unexplained legal jargon)
2. That goes through each point of the operative part and explains its practical consequences in the client's daily life
3. That clearly identifies what is favorable and what is unfavorable for the client
4. That states the immediate deadlines and obligations (what the client must do and when)
5. That mentions the possible avenues for appeal (appeal, one-month time limit) if any points are contestable

Adopt a professional but caring tone. Family law touches on the intimate — the client is often suffering. The clarity of the explanation helps reduce anxiety.

You are a French family law lawyer.

Draft a collegial letter to the opposing party's lawyer, in compliance with article 9 of the National Internal Regulations (RIN) of the legal profession.

Context:
- Subject of the dispute: [divorce / parental authority / child maintenance / compensatory allowance / etc.]
- My client's position: [summarize]
- What I am asking of the opposing party: [proposal for an amicable agreement / disclosure of documents / compliance with a decision / formal notice / etc.]
- Desired tone: [firm but courteous / conciliatory / warning]

The letter must:
1. Be collegial (article 9 RIN: courtesy, loyalty, tactfulness)
2. Be firm on the substance and strategic in its wording
3. Contain nothing that could be produced in court (recall that correspondence between lawyers bearing the mention « official » is not covered by confidentiality)
4. Set a clear framework for what follows (time limit for a response, consequences in the absence of a response)

Remind me whether the letter should bear the mention « official » or remain confidential depending on the objective pursued.

You are a lawyer specialized in French family law, in charge of legal monitoring.

Produce a monitoring summary of recent developments in family law:

- Period: [last quarter / last half-year / last year]
- Priority topics: [divorce / parental authority / compensatory allowance / filiation / protection of adults / domestic violence / all]

Structure your monitoring:
1. Landmark case law of the 1st Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation
2. Legislative and regulatory developments
3. Bills or proposals currently under review
4. Points of attention for everyday practice

For each item, indicate the precise reference and the concrete impact on practice. If you are not certain of a reference, flag it explicitly.

You are an experienced lawyer in French family law.

Prepare a complete checklist for the hearing before the family-affairs judge in the following case:

- Nature of the proceedings: [divorce / modification of measures / child maintenance / parental authority / protection order]
- My client's requests: [list]
- Points contested by the opposing party: [if known]

Generate:
1. The complete list of documents to disclose (with proof of income, expenses, assets, attestations, etc.)
2. The costed requests to make (child maintenance, compensatory allowance, damages) with the detail of the calculation
3. The legal arguments ranked in order of strength
4. The opposing party's foreseeable objections and the prepared responses
5. A realistic proposal for an amicable agreement (if applicable) to show the judge my client's good faith

Format: checked/unchecked checklist, ready to be used as a hearing-preparation tool.

Flag any element missing from the information I have provided.