Whether you intend to file for divorce, or you were recently served divorce papers, either way your divorce attorney will ask you to gather all the necessary financial documents.
If you do not have a pending divorce action, but you want to file for divorce, gathering this information before you meet with your divorce attorney will be extremely helpful, especially if you organize it and present it to your lawyer at your first meeting.
What types of information will your divorce attorney need? The following is a list of the types of financial documentation that you will need to gather, copy and hand over to your attorney.
- Income tax returns (local, state and federal). This includes all personal, corporate, partnership, and joint venture returns.
- Your income information, including payroll stubs, lease agreements, interest and dividends etc. since you filed your most recent tax return.
- Banking information, such as monthly bank statements, canceled checks, deposit slips, check registers etc. on personal and business accounts.
- Any financial statements submitted to lending institutions or banks that you or your spouse prepared in the past 5 years.
- Any loan applications that you or your spouse submitted in the last 5 years.
- Brokerage statements for all accounts, such as mutual funds, securities and commodities.
- Any certificates for stocks, bonds, or mutual funds.
- All records for stock options.
- Records for all retirement accounts.
- Wills and trusts, including powers of attorney that you have an interest in.
- Life insurance policies.
- Copies of insurance policies, including auto, health, etc.
- Statements for all debts, including the mortgage, auto loans, credit cards, etc.
- Records of real estate owned.
This is a basic summary of the types of financial information that spouses need to provide during the divorce process. Since each couple’s financial situation varies, you may need to provide more or less information depending on your unique circumstances.
To learn more about gathering financial documents during divorce and what you can and cannot do financially while your case is pending, contact the Los Angeles divorce attorneys at Claery & Hammond, LLP.