contact.php

<form id="contact" name="contact" method="post">  
  				<fieldset>  
						<label for="name" id="name">Name<span class="required">*</span></label>
						<input type="text" name="name" id="name" size="30" value="" required/>

						<label for="email" id="email">Email<span class="required">*</span></label>
						<input type="text" name="email" id="email" size="30" value="" required/>

						<label for="phone" id="phone">Phone</label>
						<input type="text" name="phone" id="phone" size="30" value="" />

						<label for="Message" id="message">Message<span class="required">*</span></label>
						<textarea name="message" id="message" required></textarea>

						<label for="Captcha" id="captcha">Name the small house pet that says "<i>meow</i>"<span class="required">*</span></label>
						<input type="text" name="captcha" value="" required/>

						<input id="submit" type="submit" name="submit" value="Send" />  
					</fieldset>  
				</form>
				<div id="success">
					<span class="green textcenter">
						<p>Your message was sent succssfully! I will be in touch as soon as I can.</p>
					</span>
				</div>

function.answercheck.js

jQuery.validator.addMethod('answercheck', function (value, element) {
        return this.optional(element) || /^\bcat\b$/.test(value);
    }, "type the correct answer -_-");

process.php

<?php

    $to = "[email protected]"; 
    $from = $_REQUEST['email']; 
    $name = $_REQUEST['name']; 
    $headers = "From: $from"; 
    $subject = "You have a message sent from your site"; 

    $fields = array(); 
    $fields{"name"} = "name"; 
    $fields{"email"} = "email"; 
    $fields{"phone"} = "phone"; 
    $fields{"message"} = "message";

    $body = "Here is what was sent:\n\n"; foreach($fields as $a => $b){   $body .= sprintf("%20s: %s\n",$b,$_REQUEST[$a]); }

    $send = mail($to, $subject, $body, $headers);

?>

validate.js

// validate contact form
$(function() {
    $('#contact').validate({
        rules: {
            name: {
                required: true,
                minlength: 2
            },
            email: {
                required: true,
                email: true
            },
            message: {
                required: true
            },
            captcha: {
                required: true,
                answercheck: true
            }
        },
        messages: {
            name: {
                required: "come on, you have a name don't you?",
                minlength: "your name must consist of at least 2 characters"
            },
            email: {
                required: "no email, no message"
            },
            message: {
                required: "um...yea, you have to write something to send this form.",
                minlength: "thats all? really?"
            },
            captcha: {
                required: "sorry, wrong answer!"
            }
        },
        submitHandler: function(form) {
            $(form).ajaxSubmit({
                type:"POST",
                data: $(form).serialize(),
                url:"process.php",
                success: function() {
                    $('#contact').fadeTo( "slow", 0.15, function() {
                        $('#success').fadeIn();
                    });
                }
            });
        }
    });
});