What to Know Before You Get Started
Whether you are considering ending your relationship, establishing a parental relationship, modifying existing court orders or if you have just been served with court papers, it is important to gather for your own benefit as much of the needed information before you meet with your lawyer.
For a Divorce:
The State of California requires each party to provide a full and complete disclosure of all financial information prior to entering into any settlement agreement or proceeding to trial before a judge. From a common sense perspective, this information allows everyone to know what they have before they begin to consider negotiating a final division of property or arrangement for financial support. From a legal perspective, the Court wants to make sure everyone has all the information they require to make fully informed and legally binding decisions.
Whenever possible, you should collect copies of the following documents and bring them to your lawyer:
1. Tax Returns - both personal and business - for at least three (3) years.
2. Account Statements - for any bank, savings, money market, brokerage, credit union accounts (joint, individual or business) for the calendar year.
3. If you keep your monthly expenses (whether business or personal) on any computerized program, run a General Ledger, Transaction Ledger, Profit & Loss and Income & Expense Report for at least the last calendar year to present.
4. If you or your spouse have any retirement, pension, Keogh, 401(k), stock option, IRA, or other deferred compensation accounts, collect statements for these as well.
5. If you own real estate (either as a primary residence, a second home, rental or investment property), locate recorded copies of deeds, deeds of trust, tax statements and escrow settlement statements.
6. If either you or your spouse are employed, bring copies of your payroll check stubs for at least the prior three (3) months.
There are many other documents that might be required, depending upon your particular matter. It is important to make copies of these materials and to give your spouse a copy as well, in order to quickly comply with California's disclosure requirements and to minimize attorney fees and other costs.