Yes! You can use AI to fill out Form DV-140, Child Custody and Visitation Order (Domestic Violence Prevention)

People often fill in the case number on the first page but forget it on subsequent pages, or they enter it incorrectly. This happens due to oversight when dealing with multi-page documents. An incorrect or missing case number can cause the court clerk to reject the filing or misfile the document, leading to significant delays and impacting the enforceability of the order. To avoid this, carefully enter the exact case number in the designated field at the top of every single page before submission.

In Section 12, filers often use vague terms like 'alternating weekends' without specifying exact start/end times, pickup/drop-off locations, or who is responsible for transportation. This ambiguity creates confusion and is a primary source of future conflict, often requiring parties to return to court for clarification. To prevent this, clearly define every detail: day, start time (e.g., 'Friday at 6:00 PM'), end time (e.g., 'Sunday at 6:00 PM'), exact exchange locations, and the person responsible for transport. An AI-powered tool like Instafill.ai can help by prompting for all necessary details to ensure the schedule is complete and enforceable.

The form uses 'Person in 1' (Protected Person) and 'Person in 2' (Restrained Person) as shorthand, which can be confusing. Filers may accidentally check the wrong box in critical sections like Custody (7) or Visitation (9, 11), resulting in an order that grants rights to the wrong person. This error can render the order nonsensical and require an emergency court hearing to correct. Always double-check that 'Person in 1' and 'Person in 2' correspond to the names listed in Sections 1 and 2 on the first page.

When filling out Section 9 for supervised visitation, people frequently check the box but fail to provide crucial details, such as who the supervisor will be or how a professional's fees will be split. An order for supervised visitation is unenforceable without a designated supervisor and a clear plan for payment, rendering the request ineffective. To avoid this, ensure you specify the supervisor type (nonprofessional or professional), provide their name if known, and clearly allocate payment percentages so they total 100%.

A common error is to select conflicting options, such as checking the box for 'No visitation' in Section 8 while also filling out a detailed visitation schedule in Section 12. This logical contradiction makes it impossible for the judge to know the filer's true intent, which can lead to an unintended order or a delay in the ruling. Carefully review the entire form to ensure your selections are consistent. AI form-filling tools like Instafill.ai can help prevent these mistakes by flagging contradictory inputs before submission.

Many sections on the form, such as relationship to children (1, 2) or custody arrangements (7), have an 'Other (describe)' option. Filers often check the 'Other' box but forget to write in the required explanation. This leaves the court with incomplete information, making that part of the order vague and potentially unenforceable. If you select any 'Other' option, you must provide a clear and concise description to ensure the court understands your specific request.

The form only has space to list four children in Section 3. If there are more, filers are instructed to check a box and attach a separate page, but they often forget to do one or both of these steps. This can result in the custody and visitation order not applying to all of the children involved, creating a serious legal gap. If you have more than four children, you must check the box in Section 3 and attach a separate sheet of paper clearly labeled 'DV-140, Children' with the additional children's full names and dates of birth.

In Section 4, a person might check a box to restrict travel outside a county or the state but fail to check who the restriction applies to ('Person in 1,' 'Person in 2,' or 'Other'). This omission makes the order unenforceable, as it doesn't specify which parent is bound by the travel limitation. To create a valid order, you must select both the geographic boundary (e.g., 'State of California') and the person who is being restricted from traveling with the children without permission.

In Sections 9 (Supervised Visitation) and 10 (Supervised Exchanges), the form requires allocating payment responsibility by percentage. A frequent mistake is entering percentages for Person 1, Person 2, and/or 'Other' that do not add up to exactly 100%. This creates an ambiguous payment order and can prevent supervised services from starting. Always double-check your math to ensure the fee percentages sum to 100%. Using a tool like Instafill.ai can help by automatically validating such calculations.

Section 5 allows a party to stop the restrained person from accessing a child's records. However, filers sometimes check the main box for Section 5 but then fail to specify whether the block applies to 'All the children listed in 3' or only specific children. This ambiguity can lead to providers being unsure of their legal obligation to withhold or release information. To avoid this, you must clearly select either the 'All children' option or the 'Only the children listed here' option and name them if necessary.