Welcome to Divorce | The Final Divide
Divorce Article
This is a selection made from among articles on Divorce. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for future reading, click here.
Seven Sets of Documents You Need For Your Divorce
from: Scott MorganThis article is designed to give someone who is considering or planning for the possibility of divorce an idea of what documents are needed. Even if you believe your case is ultimately agreed to and settled without a trial, you will be in a much better position if you already have the relevant documents in your possession. Better safe than sorry.
You should locate the relevant documents, make copies, and keep them somewhere secure, like your office or with a friend. You will then have access when it is needed.
Here are the most important seven categories of documents you should focus on.
1. Income Documents
Your spouse's income is relevant to a number of issues in a divorce case. At a minimum, get your spouse's last paycheck statement and your most recent tax return. Ideally, you would have access to all tax returns filed during the marriage, along with all supporting documents and schedules.
2. Bank Records
The monthly bank statements are very important and can lead you to other documents (cancelled checks, deposit slips, registers, etc.) that you also may need to obtain. Get at least the most recent statement for each account that is either held in your name, your spouse's name, or jointly. If possible, get copies of all statements going back to the date of marriage. In most cases this volume of records is not required, but in some cases these records can be very helpful and even necessary to analyze the case.
3. Retirement and Other Investment Records
Often the biggest asset a couple will own will be a 401k or pension account. So you will definitely want the most recent account statement and ideally all statements dating back to the time of marriage. Also, the last statement prior to marriage can be very significant (especially in community property states) to show the pre-marriage balance.
4. Credit Card statements
Again the most recent statements are a necessity, but a lot of important evidence can be garnered from the historical statements. In some cases, the credit card statements will show questionable transactions that can be of real evidentiary value. For example, they might show evidence of gifts or dinners purchased for paramours, questionable hotel rentals, or other dubious purchases.
5. Real estate documents
The most important real estate documents are the Deed of Trust and Warranty Deed for any property you currently own. If you have the entire file from (the giant stack of paper you got after the closing) for each real estate purchase or refinance transaction during the marriage it can be helpful. Additionally, documents evidencing real estate owned by either spouse prior to marriage can be significant, especially in community property states.
6. Mortgage statements & any Other Debts
You should get the most recent statements showing the current payoff balance for any other debts. For those debts that have only a coupon book with no regularly generated statements showing the current balance, you will probably need to contact the creditor by phone for the current payoff information.
7. Relevant emails or other correspondence
Correspondence or emails can be extremely helpful (or damaging, depending on your viewpoint) pieces of evidence in the case. Whether the communication is between spouses or between a spouse and some third-party, the communication is potentially relevant. Two common examples would be where your spouse makes a damaging admission about some issue in the case, or communications with paramours.
Conclusion
Determining which documents you need to obtain for your divorce case can be a very time-consuming and daunting task. Use this list as a starting point and discuss your situation with a quality divorce attorney. This person should be able to advise you specifically on the documents you need to obtain in order to protect your interests.
About the Author
Scott Morgan has been a practicing divorce attorney since 1994. To learn about California divorce visit www.california-divorce-info.com for a litany of divorce resources, a free newsletter, and a local attorney directory.
Warning: file(http://www.searchfeed.com/rd/feed/TextFeed.jsp?trackID=C0534527057&pID=59827&cat=Divorce&nl=5&page=1&excID=) [function.file]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
in /home/aldouspi/public_html/divorce/datas/searchfeed.php on line 8
Divorce Specific links
Divorce News
Kris Humphries gives up, nears divorce deal with Kim Kardashian - Chicago Sun-Times
 ThyBlackMan | Kris Humphries gives up, nears divorce deal with Kim Kardashian Chicago Sun-Times (Photo by Tim Whitby/Getty Images) After months of bitter squabbling, Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian reportedly are close to finalizing their divorce settlement. And I understand that while Humphries is not getting any kind of apology from ... Kris Humphries Nears Divorce Deal; Khloe says Kim Learned Her Lesson Kim Kardashian divorce drama: Kanye West wants to 'have it out' with Kris ... Kanye West twitter, Kim Kardashian dating or twitter divorce drama. |
Divorced, But Dating Your Ex - Huffington Post (blog)
Divorced, But Dating Your Ex Huffington Post (blog) A friend of mine had gotten divorced about a year ago. We spoke often during the divorce process and I tried to give her a lot of support. We hadn't been in contact for about six months after her divorce and recently met for coffee. |
How Some Men Are Upending Domestic Violence Laws to Scam an Advantage in Divorce - Forbes
 NBCSports.com | How Some Men Are Upending Domestic Violence Laws to Scam an Advantage in Divorce Forbes Here are the two “new” underhanded tactics which divorce professionals are seeing crop up with increasing frequency: This ploy is just as ugly as it sounds. Some men are upending domestic violence laws so that their wives (who are the true victims) are ... Joel Bernheim: High-Profile Sanders Case Draws Attention to Father's Custody ... Pilar Sanders says 19-year-old prompts divorce, Deion gives kids divorce papers |
Some Tax And Financial Tips For The Divorced From Julian Block - Forbes
Some Tax And Financial Tips For The Divorced From Julian Block Forbes I recently reviewed Julian Block's Tax Tips For Marriage And Divorce. He has provided me with another guest post, this one with some advice oriented to divorced individuals, although, frankly, most of the advice is more broadly applicable. |
Facebook lands in divorce court across the country - Fox 31 KDVR.com
 Fox 31 KDVR.com | Facebook lands in divorce court across the country Fox 31 KDVR.com “We have a new player in town,” says divorce attorney Raoul Felder. “It's social networking.” “You could go on your boyfriend or girlfriend's Facebook and see a message – they've been messaging someone behind your back and you don't know,” says ... Lawyers say Facebook a growing factor in divorce More than a third of divorce filings contain the word Facebook Does Facebook Wreck Marriages? |