An essential part of the divorce process involves gathering records of your financial and medical life during your marriage. This allows the Judge and the attorneys of both sides to understand the financial situation of both spouses. Receiving that information accurately is essential to calculating alimony and child support. Gathering all of this information is essential even if you are lucky enough to be choosing mediation and working collaboratively with your spouse on the divorce.
Working to gather this information prior to beginning the divorce process can speed things up exponentially. Your attorney can most likely subpoena records as well, but giving her as much information to start with will make her job, and your case, much easier.
To start with, gather any financial information you can. This includes tax returns, pay stubs, retirement information, bank statements, credit card statements, and the like. Get these going back as far as you can – six months is a good starting point, a year’s worth is ideal. You should be compiling this information not just from yourself, but from your spouse as well. Your spouse may attempt to cut you off from these records as soon as you file for divorce. The more financial information you have now, the easier it is to get you what you deserve.
Secondly, you should be gathering any relevant information from your children’s school and medical providers. If there are any issues you feel your children’s doctors should be documenting that they are not currently, address that with them now. This information may also be subpoenaed and become relevant if custody or visitation are issues in your case.
Finally, if you think your spouse is having an affair, talk to your lawyer. They can help hire a private investigator if need be. An affair changes the divorce landscape significantly. You may obtain your spouse’s phone records and access their social media. Make sure to save anything and everything that is relevant to your situation.
At Empowered Family Law, we believe in getting you and your family what you deserve with as little damage as possible. Contact Empowered Family Law today to speak to someone who cares. We empower families to navigate difficult changes and create new beginnings!
Empowered Family Law, PC
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