Claude Prompt: Client Declaration for Custody Temporary Orders (First-Hand Facts)
Drafts the client's declaration or affidavit supporting temporary orders from the client's own account: first-hand facts only, each dated and specific, in the client's voice, tied to the exhibits you list. What the client learned from others is held out and listed for your decision. No conclusions, no characterization of the other parent, no legal standard.
The Prompt
Variables (7)
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| {{client_name}} | Client Name (Declarant) | Rachel Donovan |
| {{court_and_caption}} | Court and Case Caption | Superior Court of King County, Washington; In re Donovan, No. 26-3-04412-1 |
| {{relief_sought}} | Relief Sought (Attorney Words) | Temporary orders for the children to reside primarily with Rachel and for a set weekend schedule for the father. |
| {{client_account}} | Client Account and Interview Notes | On 08/29 Mark picked the kids up late, at 7:40 p.m. instead of 6. On 09/05 he missed Ben's soccer game. My sister told me he has been staying at a friend's house. He is just irresponsible. |
| {{exhibits}} | Exhibit List | Exhibit A: text messages between Rachel and Mark, 08/29/2026. Exhibit B: soccer league schedule for fall 2026. |
| {{other_records}} | Texts, Emails and Records | 08/29/2026 5:52 p.m. Mark to Rachel: "Running behind, will get them around 7." |
| {{formal_requirements}} | Oath Language and Format or NONE | NONE |
Expected Output
An <analysis> block, then Part 1, attorney-only notes (safety passages quoted first, conflicts, items the client learned from others with who told them, conclusions removed with the questions to ask, facts that cut against the relief, an exhibit table, unsupported statements declined, declined requests, missing information); Part 2, the declaration in the client's first-person voice with numbered, dated, specific first-hand paragraphs tied to your exhibits, and the oath and signature block as the bare line TO BE COMPLETED BY ATTORNEY unless you pasted the wording; and a closing Verification list.
Usage Notes
Use after the client interview, with the exhibits already identified. Paste the client's account unedited, including the parts that are opinion or hearsay; the prompt separates them rather than relying on you to. Paste your court's exact oath language and format if you want it used. Failure mode to watch: a dated, specific paragraph that actually came from what someone else told the client, or a characterization of the other parent that survived into the document. Read the document part line by line before it leaves the office, then read it aloud with the client. Not legal advice. The attorney remains responsible for verifying every fact, figure and authority before use.
Double-check before use
- Check that every quotation in the declaration is in your materials, word for word.
These are the places where this prompt was seen to slip when tested on sample cases with a small AI model.
Originally featured in: Prompt Engineering for Lawyers: The Complete 2026 Guide
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* These prompts are drafting and analysis aids for licensed attorneys. They are not legal advice and do not replace professional judgment. AI output can contain errors, including invented citations and incorrect deadlines: verify every fact, figure, authority and deadline against primary sources before relying on it. Rules vary by jurisdiction, and you remain responsible for the final work product.