diff --git a/Util.java b/Util.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..89743c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Util.java
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package org.json.junit;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+
+public class Util {
+
+    /**
+     * Utility method to check for a target string, then remove it from
+     * the string to be searched.
+     * @param jsonStr the string to be searched
+     * @param expectedStr the target string to search for
+     * @param assertStr the error message for the assert
+     * @return new string with target substring removed
+     */
+    public static String checkAndRemoveString(
+            String jsonStr, String expectedStr, String assertStr) {
+        int idx = jsonStr.indexOf(expectedStr);
+        assertTrue(assertStr, idx != -1);
+        String newStr = jsonStr.substring(0, idx)+
+            jsonStr.substring(idx+expectedStr.length());
+        return newStr;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Utility method to strip out selected punctuation chars and confirm
+     * that jsonStr is now empty
+     * @param jsonStr the string to be verified
+     * @param regexStr regex string of the chars to remove
+     * @param assertStr the error message for the assert
+     */
+    public static void verifyEmptyJsonStr(String jsonStr, String regexStr,
+            String assertStr) {
+        jsonStr = jsonStr.replaceAll(regexStr, "");
+        assertTrue(assertStr, jsonStr.length() == 0);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Utility method to check for a set of target strings, 
+     * then remove them from the string to be searched.
+     * When completed, punctuation marks are stripped out and
+     * the string to be searched is confirmed as empty
+     * @param jsonStr the string to be searched
+     * @param expectedStrArray the target strings to search for
+     * @param regexStr regex string of the chars to remove
+     * @param methodStr the method name
+     */
+    public static void checkAndRemoveStrings(String jsonStr,
+            String[] expectedStr, String regexStr, String methodStr) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < expectedStr.length; ++i) {
+            jsonStr = Util.checkAndRemoveString(jsonStr, expectedStr[i], 
+                methodStr+expectedStr+" should be included in string output");
+        }
+        Util.verifyEmptyJsonStr(jsonStr, regexStr,
+            methodStr+" jsonStr should be empty");
+    }
+}