The Information You Need To Gather Before Consulting With a Divorce Attorney

January historically brings an influx of divorce filings, especially for spouses with children. Families typically like to preserve holiday traditions and do not want to disrupt memories of their children with the news of a divorce. And the new year often sparks the urge for changes, which can sometimes include the dissolving of marriage after years of marital difficulties.

All too often, these clients come to us with little to no idea about their household finances.  In some cases, our client’s spouse has been the one to work with the accountant and financial planner, with near unilateral access to the family finances. In others, our client’s spouse has already taken pains to squirrel away important financial documents at the first suggestion that a divorce may be looming.

When it comes to an initial consultation about a divorce, the Bulman Dunie family law attorneys are best positioned to give advice about a reasonable or likely outcome when we have the most information. This means that a family law client is best positioned to receive the advice if they compile household finances and have them ready from the start.

Household Finances 

When you compile household finances, please include the following:

• Bank account statements for joint and separate accounts;
• Settlement documents from real estate purchases and refinances;
• Insurance policies;
• Retirement benefit statements and plan documents; and,
• Information regarding assets that either spouse has received by gift or inheritance.

When to Compile Household Finances 

We recommend our clients gather and compile household finances as soon as they begin contemplating a potential separation or divorce. We also encourage clients to do so before raising the issue with their spouse in anticipation of the fact that statements may thereafter go missing, and online account passwords may be changed.

While we can of course still assist without this information, it can be a much more expensive and time-consuming process. Without cooperation by the other party to provide the above-referenced types of documents, the only option may be litigation and formal discovery, including depositions and subpoenas. Until we have a complete picture of the household finances, we cannot advise as to a division of marital property that would be reasonable, and what range of support a client could reasonably expect to pay or receive.

If you have resolved to make a change in your marriage in the new year, please compile your household finances. Bulman Dunie family law attorneys, Jane Rodgers, Esq. and Meg Rosan, Esq., are here to help.  Please contact us at (301) 656-1177.