> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.rytz.com.au/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Forms library — overview

> Every Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia form RYTZ supports — interactive desktop builders, educational overview pages, and the legal framework behind each form.

import { Card, CardGroup, Note, Tip, Warning } from '@mintlify/components'

The **Forms Library** at `app.rytz.com.au/forms` is RYTZ's hub for the court forms that drive Australian family-law proceedings. From the Initiating Application that begins a parenting matter to the Notice of Discontinuance that ends one, the library covers every form the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) asks parties to file.

Today the library covers **40 distinct forms**. Some are interactive desktop builders that walk you through the form field by field with AI-powered prompts and validation. Others are educational overview pages — explanations of what the form does, when you'd file it, and what the key sections demand — without an interactive build flow.

## The three tiers

Not every form is at the same maturity. Reading the library well means knowing which tier each form sits in.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Gold Standard (10 forms)" icon="star">
    Full interactive desktop builder with AI prompts, validation, court-form-compliant PDF output. The fastest path from a blank page to a filed form.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Phase 1 complete (1 form)" icon="circle-half-stroke">
    Substantial interactive build but not at full Gold Standard quality. Functional today; refinement ongoing.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Overview only (28 forms)" icon="book-open">
    Educational page explaining the form. No interactive builder yet. You'd download the form from the FCFCOA website, fill manually (or with a lawyer), and refer to the platform for context.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Conversational (1 form)" icon="message">
    Form 11 (Parenting) has an additional conversational Q\&A interview at `/form-11-conversational` that can replace the desktop builder for users who prefer chat.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

See [The three tiers](/forms/the-three-tiers) for the complete list and the rationale behind which forms are in which tier.

## What a Gold Standard builder gives you

A Gold Standard interactive builder produces a court-form-compliant PDF in roughly 30–90 minutes (vs 4–8 hours filling the FCFCOA's PDF directly). It does this by:

* **Reading your Master Case File** to pre-populate parties, addresses, court details, file numbers
* **Asking you questions** in plain English, then translating answers into the form's language
* **Validating as you go** — required fields, cross-references, internal consistency
* **Linking to your Evidence Portfolio** for any annexures the form requires
* **Generating the final PDF** in the exact form layout the FCFCOA expects

The output is a PDF you can file directly through the Commonwealth Courts Portal (FCFCOA's filing system).

## The 10 Gold Standard forms

These are the forms with full interactive builders today. Most-trafficked forms in self-represented family-law matters:

| Form                          | Purpose                                                                                                    | Stage                    |
| ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| **Form 11 — Parenting**       | Notice of Risk; mandatory in any parenting application where family violence, abuse or neglect is at issue | Application              |
| **Initiating Application**    | Begins proceedings (parenting, property, divorce, or both)                                                 | Application              |
| **Financial Statement**       | Sets out a party's financial position; required in property and child-support matters                      | Application / Disclosure |
| **Application in Proceeding** | Used to seek interim or procedural orders within an existing matter                                        | Interim                  |
| **Contravention Application** | Alleges breach of existing parenting orders                                                                | Post-orders              |
| **Response to Divorce**       | Answer to a divorce application served on you                                                              | Divorce                  |
| **Affidavit of Service**      | Proves a document was served on the other party                                                            | Throughout               |
| **Genuine Steps Certificate** | Confirms parties have made genuine attempts to resolve issues before filing                                | Pre-action               |
| **Reply**                     | Used to reply to allegations in a Response                                                                 | Application              |
| **Notice of Appeal**          | Begins an appeal of a final order                                                                          | Post-final               |
| **Fee Exemption**             | Application for exemption from court filing fees                                                           | Throughout               |

<Note>
  Some forms (notably Form 11 and Initiating Application) are also available in the same workflow on the same routes. Where the table above lists "Application in Proceeding" + "Contravention Application" + "Reply", those forms have dedicated builders that share the same AI substrate but with form-specific question flows.
</Note>

## Educational overview forms

The 28 forms in the **Overview only** tier each have a dedicated educational page — typically 800–1,500 words explaining the form's purpose, when to file it, the key sections, common pitfalls, and the cost. No interactive build flow yet.

If you need to file one of these forms today, the path is:

1. Read RYTZ's overview page for context
2. Download the form from the [FCFCOA website](https://www.fcfcoa.gov.au)
3. Fill manually (or work with a lawyer)
4. Reference the platform's overview while you fill, for the explanations

Forms in this tier include: Response to Initiating Application · Affidavit (Family Law) · Affidavit (FDR Exemption) · Consent Orders · Response to Application in Proceeding · Divorce Application · Parenting Questionnaire · Enforcement Application · Acknowledgment of Service · Contempt Application · Financial Questionnaire · Notice of Discontinuance · Notice Address Service · Certificate Dispute Resolution · Balance Sheet · Application in Appeal · Outline Case (Final) · Outline Case (Interim) · Fee Deferral · Service Kit · Superannuation Kit. See [the three tiers](/forms/the-three-tiers) for the full list.

## What the library does for you

Across both tiers:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Form selection guidance" icon="question">
    "Which form do I need?" is one of the most-asked questions in family-law matters. The hub at `/forms` lets you describe what you're trying to do; the platform suggests the form(s) that fit.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pre-population from your case file" icon="copy">
    Parties, addresses, court details, file numbers — anything the platform already knows is filled in automatically. Saves time and reduces typos.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cross-form consistency" icon="link">
    If you've filed a Financial Statement that says one thing, and you're now filing a Balance Sheet that says another, the platform flags the inconsistency before you file. Inconsistency in filed material is one of the fastest ways to lose credibility.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Filing fee guidance" icon="circle-dollar">
    Each form's overview page lists the current filing fee + whether fee waivers (Fee Exemption / Fee Deferral) typically apply.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What the library will not do

* It will not file the form for you. Filing happens at the [Commonwealth Courts Portal](https://www.comcourts.gov.au) — you upload the platform-generated PDF and pay the fee through the Portal.
* It will not serve the form on the other party. Service obligations under the Family Law Rules are yours; the platform produces the document, you serve it.
* It will not advise you whether to file. The decision to file (or not) is strategic. The platform produces the form once you've decided; the decision is yours.

<Warning>
  **Filing fees change.** Court fees are gazetted annually. The platform's fee references are accurate at the date of last update (see each form's overview page for `last_updated`). Check the FCFCOA's [current fees](https://www.fcfcoa.gov.au/fl/fees) page before filing.
</Warning>

## Connecting to other surfaces

The Forms Library is tightly coupled to other parts of the platform:

* **Master Case File** — every form pre-populates from the MCF
* **Evidence Portfolio** — annexures pulled from the Portfolio in citation order
* **Affidavit Preparation** — many forms have an associated affidavit; the Affidavit Preparation surface drafts those
* **Case Roadmap** — each FCFCOA stage names the forms typically filed at that stage; click through directly to the form
* **AI assistant** — ask the assistant "which form do I need to seek interim parenting orders?" and it returns the form with a link

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="The three tiers" icon="layer-group" href="/forms/the-three-tiers">
    Complete list of forms by tier with the rationale behind each tier assignment.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Affidavit overview" icon="pen-nib" href="/affidavits/overview">
    Most forms require a supporting affidavit; the affidavit toolkit handles those.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Case Roadmap" icon="map" href="/case-roadmap/overview">
    The FCFCOA stages — each stage identifies the forms typically filed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="FCFCOA stages — full detail" icon="layer-group" href="/case-roadmap/fcfcoa-stages">
    Stage-by-stage walkthrough including which forms apply at each.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
