Preparatory Steps to File a Divorce

There are a lot of things people can do to help their attorney with preparing for the divorce. Getting copies of income tax returns, W2s, copies of paystubs, bank accounts, retirement statements, credit card statements, loan balances, etc., so that your attorney can figure out where all the money is and what is owed is important.

Also, you should literally go around the house, inventory all the stuff and photograph it. That way you have tangible evidence, so that if the other party tries to liquidate it, you have evidence to present to the judge in an effort to either reclaim the property or reclaim its value.

It is Advisable to Open a Separate Bank Account

If you share a joint bank account with your spouse close it. Open up an account in your own name. You don’t want your ex-husband or ex-wife liquidating the bank accounts and spending it on God knows what. Nor can you liquidate the accounts either. Simply withdraw your deposits and put that money in your own account.

Further, if you have joint credit cards shut them down. Get your name off of them. Open one in your own name. Lastly, get all of this information to your attorney at once.

The Importance of Documentation in Divorce

You can’t document enough. For example, conversations that you have with the other parent, keeping a calendar of the number of overnights each parent has and keeping a journal or diary regarding every conversation that was had between the both of you should be documented. If you think of anything that is relevant to your divorce write it down, photograph it, photocopy it, etc. This will help your attorney tremendously. It helps the attorney piece things together. It also saves the attorney time and you a lot of money if your attorney has to track down this information later.