Using a variety of ab initio methods, SCF, CISD, MP2, MP4, MCSCF, and MCSCF+1+2, we have studied the electronic and geometical structure of the ground and low-lying states of the isovalent radicals NCl2, PCl2 and NCl, PCl. In particular, we have examined the states ($) over tilde X(2)B(1), ($) over tilde A(2)A(1), ($) over tilde (BB2)-B-2, ($) over tilde C(2)A(1), ($) over tilde D(2)A(2) and ($) over tilde X(2)B(1), ($) over tilde A(2)A(1), ($) over tilde (BB2)-B-2, ($) over tilde C(2)A(1), ($) over tilde (DB2)-B-2, ($) over tilde E(2)A(2) for NCl2 and PCl2, respectively. These calculated manifolds can be proved useful in elucidating the complicated electronic spectroscopy of the triatomic species. For the diatomic molecules we have examined the states X(3) Sigma(-), a(1) Delta, and b(1) Sigma(+), while, for the ground X(3) Sigma(-) state only, we constructed full energy potential curves in an effort to obtain accurate dissociation energies.