While you may not have enjoyed a successful marriage, a successful divorce is possible if you are well prepared. The divorce process runs on paperwork, and the outcome of your case will depend on the accuracy of the information you provide.
You will need to provide your divorce lawyer with information about your marriage and documentation related to marital assets, debts, property valuations, and more. These documents tell the story of your marriage financially, and form the foundation of necessary evidence to assure a fair and equitable division of marital property as well as protect any separate property you may have brought to the marriage.
As you prepare your documentation, be sure you make two sets of paper or digital copies — one for your divorce lawyer and one for your records. If you are supplying digital records, make sure they are saved to the cloud so you can easily access them, and they are protected from a computer crash or mischief.
It is important that you organize your documents in a way that eliminates the possibility of confusion, which will help make your divorce negotiations run more smoothly. The supporting documents you will want to organize for your divorce lawyer include the following:
Income
- Paycheck stubs for you and your spouse over the past year
- Copies of state and federal tax returns for the past three years
- Financial statements for any bank loans
- Copies of check ledgers that show expenses paid during the marriage
- If you or your spouse are self-employed, documentation showing business expenses, profit and loss statements, financial statements, etc.
Real estate
- Documents that include a legal description of real estate owned jointly or separately
- Mortgage statements for all mortgages held on property
- Documents from the purchase of any real estate during the marriage
- Refinance documentation, if applicable
- Tax assessor statements on jointly or separately owned real estate
Joint financial accounts
- Bank statements for checking and savings accounts held in your name or jointly with your spouse
- Investment account statements held in your name or jointly with your spouse
Marital debt
- List of all outstanding, unsecured debts — credit cards, medical bills, and any other loans in your name or your spouse’s name
Life insurance
- Life insurance policy statements for individual policies or policies obtained through an employer
Retirement plans
- Recent statements for pension funds, retirement plans, 401(k)s, IRAs, mutual funds, etc.
Motor vehicles
- Title or registration to any motor vehicles owned by you or your spouse — cars, boats, ATVs, farm equipment, and other vehicles
- Loan statements showing balance and payoff information for motor vehicles owned by you or your spouse
Protecting your interests and achieving results which supports your needs is what you can expect from Cistaro Law. Contact us today for your free consultation.
