A declaration, which is the proper name for such a letter, is not admissible as evidence but may sway the judgement of the case. In the United States decisions of this sort are made by court commissioners. Ensure the court rules for the local area are read and that you also use blue or black ink or a fine may be incurred. You do not have to write your address but do write somewhere where you can get court mail; please also give the court a phone number and only the last four digits of any social security numbers of all parties are necessary, whose dates of birth must be omitted too. Write the bank name, type of account and the last four digits of that account number, and then write the name, age and relationship to the parties in the case in the caption box at the top of the form, then sign at the bottom with the date. After the words "I declare”, compose your declaration, which should always adhere to the argument in a concise manner; when referring to documents please call them ‘exhibits’ and label them physically as ‘Exhibit Number 1’ and so forth for ease of reference. Prioritise the most important points at the very top of your argument: Say how you know the children and how well, how often the children have been seen with the parent and give any known problems such as substance abuse or criminal activity. Give character witnesses and explain which parent does what in terms of running the household. Always give examples to back up any statements, especially quoting what the parent or child has actually said, the more specific the information the better. No hearsay evidence ("someone told me”) can be permitted but an exception, as mentioned, is when reporting what another party pertaining to the case has said. Check that the page limit is not exceeded in accordance with the law, and ensure a good structure to the declaration with headings and sub-headings. Chronology is important so try to work forwards from the oldest instances, and always dissent with anything that has already been said. Ensure the document is properly spell-checked.
