Preparing For Your Initial Divorce Consultation

1. Date of marriage.
2. Child information: Full name (correct spelling), date of birth and social security number of each child.
3. Social security numbers for you and your spouse.
4. Educational background (from high school to present) of you and your spouse.
5. Employers names past and present for you and your spouse, including dates of employment and termination.
6. Timeline of significant events in the marriage, including but not limited to, prior separations, therapy, marriage counseling, attempts to reconcile, domestic violence, alcohol or drug abuse, or sexual misconduct.
7. Income: Copies of the 5 most recent pay stubs for you and your spouse. Documentation of any other household income.
8. Tax Returns: Copies of your single or joint Federal and State income tax returns for the last 5 years, including all schedules, W-2 forms, K-1s, and 1099s for you and your spouse.
9. Net Worth Statements: Copies of any financial or net worth statements you or your spouse filed within the last 5 years for purposes of obtaining a loan or line of credit.
10. Real Estate Deeds & Legal Descriptions: For all real estate owned by you and/or your spouse, the date of purchase, the purchase price, the monthly payment and the outstanding balance owed. Copy of the most recent deeds, including complete legal descriptions, for each parcel of real estate owned by you and/or your spouse. If you do not possess deeds and legal descriptions, please contact the lender, and request a copy of the deed and legal description. The legal description of the land is included in the deed, mortgage, title insurance policy, or abstract of title.
11. Personal Property – Vehicles, Motorcycles, Boats, Campers, Etc.: The make, model year, and options for each vehicle, motorcycle, boat, camper, etc. owned by you and/or your spouse.
12. Personal Property of Significant Value: Documentation of the value of such items as jewelry, artwork, antiques, heirlooms, china, silver, furs, notes, interests in trusts, contract rights, liens, judgments, livestock, pets, guns, collectibles, and any other assets of significant value.
13. Checking / Savings / Credit Union Accounts: Copies of account statements for any checking, savings, money market, share draft accounts that you or your spouse own showing the account number, the current balance, and the titled owner.
14. Retirement Accounts: Copies of current account statements reflecting the current balance and any loans against any 401(k) accounts and individual retirement accounts (IRA) which you or your spouse own.
15. Retirement Plans: Information regarding each retirement plan, including pension, profit sharing, Keogh, and annuity plan that you or your spouse own. Ask the plan administrator or human resources department for a copy of the summary plan description, a statement reflecting the current interest in such plan, and its current value, including any loans against the value.
16. Stock / Bond Accounts: Copies of account statements reflecting the current balance for any stocks and bonds that you or your spouse own.
17. Life Insurance Policies: Documentation of all life insurance policies owned by you or your spouse own, including the policy account number, type of insurance, name of the insured, name of the beneficiaries, amount of death benefit, and the current cash surrender value of each policy.
18. Debts: All debts owed by you or your spouse, including copies of current statements for each debt showing the amount owed, to whom, the account number, when the debt was incurred, when it is due and in whose name the debt is in. Please include statements for mortgages, vehicle loans, boat and RV loans, credit cards, educational loans, loans against retirement accounts and life insurance policies, any other miscellaneous loans, outstanding medical bills, and documentation of money owed to any other parties by you or your spouse.
19. Domestic Contracts: Copy of prenuptial or postnuptial agreement.
20. Questions: Prepare in advance a list of your questions for Tandra.