Start by reading the section from the Swing tutorial on
Using Layout Managers.
A simple technique would be great.
The trick is to use multiple panels with potentially multiple different layout managers to get your desired effect.
Maybe in your case you use a vertical BoxLayout. Then you create JPanels that use a FlowLayout for each row in the form.
I'd also be quite happy to position things using x,y positions etc.
Well, that can be done, but most people will advise you not to do it because you lose all the advantages of using a Layout Manager.