Documents to gather, tips and outline to prepare for first meeting

Tips for Preparing to Meet with Your Family Law Attorney

As you prepare for your first meeting with your family law attorney, you should obtain and organize certain documents and information to bring with you. This information you provide will help your attorney assess your situation and develop a plan that will best fit your objectives. This list is a guide to help you get started. Not all items below will be applicable to your situation, and we may ask you for additional information and/or documents that are not listed here.

Financial Information (be sure to include account names, numbers, balances and current statements)

• Individual income tax returns for the past three to five years (state and federal)
• Business income tax returns for the past three to five years (state and federal)
• Recent income/pay stub
• Bank statements
• Statements from trusts, stocks, bonds or US Treasury notes
• List of safety deposit box contents
• Investment accounts (annuities and mutual funds)
• Retirement Savings Information (including balances, beneficiaries, outstanding loans and current statements)
• 401(k)s
• 401(b)s
• IRAs
• Life insurance policies (including cash value)
• Social security statement
• Pension statement

Property Information (including property description, address, ownership interest, market value, outstanding mortgage and loan balances, source of mortgage and loan payments and most recent tax assessment)

• Primary residence
• Rental properties (including any rental income)
• Vacation homes
• Business property
• Personal property of value (automobiles, electronics, antiques, collectables, jewelry, art, clothing, furs, etc.)
• Inheritance (current or anticipated)
• Interests in trust (current or future)
• List of property owned by each spouse prior to marriageAutomobile(s), boat(s) or other recreational vehicle(s)

Bills and Outstanding Debt (including balances, statements, source of payments/funds)

• Credit card statements
• Loan documents
• Utility bills
• Other bills (school tuition, medical bills, etc.)
• Provide a monthly budget worksheet

Legal Agreements

• Wills
• Living wills
• Powers of attorney
• Durable powers of attorney
• Advance directives (also termed power of attorney for healthcare, healthcare proxy)
• Prenuptial agreements (also termed premarital agreement or antenuptial agreement)
• Divorce decrees or child support from previous marriage
• Court Orders that may apply to your and your spouse (Protection from Abuse, etc.)

Non-Financial Contributions

• Contributions of a homemaker
• Contributions made by one spouse to further the educational and/or career goals of the other spouse

Finally, you will also want to start thinking about other issues that may or may not be applicable to your situation. These are matters about which you should speak with your attorney and may include:

• Child support
• Child custody (legal & physical)
• Visitation
• Residence in the marital homestead
• Beneficiaries of insurance policies and other benefits
• Spousal support / alimony
• Domestic violence issues (including child abuse)
• Post-divorce non-financial support
• Attorney’s fees and expenses

*The materials contained in this web site do not constitute legal advice, and contact with us through this web site does not establish an attorney-client relationship. We provide these materials for general information purposes only.