Tips for Preparing for a Divorce

A divorce can be one of the most stressful times of your life. Having a good divorce attorney in Monroe, NC can help significantly.

Preparation is the key to successfully litigating or negotiating your case. An experienced divorce attorney can help you understand how to prepare for your divorce. 

A divorce checklist will be of major assistance in preparing for your divorce. Tips for preparing for a divorce include gathering the following items:

Financial Documents

Finances are often one of the most crucial elements of a divorce. It is helpful to have the relevant financial documents to paint an accurate picture of your marital assets and get your due share of those assets. 

It is best to have financial documents dating back several years, as opposed to just the recent past. For long marriages, documents for the past five years should be adequate. If the marriage did not last five years, you should have documents for the entire period.

Some of the financial documents you should gather include:

• income tax returns
• employment records
• bank statements
• pension plan information
• retirement savings accounts
• debt records
• social security statements

Asset Documentation

In the process of obtaining a divorce, it should be established what assets each spouse brought to the marriage. It will help your case to have documents proving ownership of assets such as vehicles, real estate, and valuable personal property such as jewelry and art.  You will also need a list of the assets acquired during the marriage and their value.

Childcare Documents

Should child custody be an issue in your divorce, your divorce checklist should outline who does what parental duties for the children, such as cooking, bathing, cleaning, purchasing clothes, arranging for and transporting the children to and from medical appointments, school, and extracurricular activities.  There may also be certain financial documents that will be helpful to your divorce attorney in resolving your custody and support issues. These can include documentation of child care costs, health insurance costs for the children, the costs of extracurricular activities or extraordinary expenses such as private school tuition, the costs of orthodontist care, etc.

If your children are still in school, you and your spouse may have to determine how to provide for their academic expenses. Gathering documentation of these expenses beforehand will give you less to worry about during the divorce proceedings.

Personal Documents

The personal information you should present to the divorce attorney includes your wedding date, birth dates for both spouses, birthdates for children, social security information, information about previous marriages, prenuptial or postnuptial agreements, and medical records, etc.

If there are any documents providing proof of marital issues such as abuse, adultery, kidnapping, bullying, substance abuse, mental illness, or instability, those documents should be provided to your divorce attorney. These documents may include photographs, receipts for rehabilitation centers, hospital bills, and restraining orders, among others.

It is paramount that you are prepared before filing for divorce. The Monroe, NC divorce attorneys at Plyler, Long & Corigliano, LLP can help you understand what documents you need in your divorce case. Call 704-289-2519 today for an initial consultation.

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