Getting a divorce often means that documents and information that has rarely seen the light of day must be found, copied, and presented to an attorney. These documents are generally related to property and assets, with the purpose of creating a comprehensive picture of what the divorce settlement should look like.
What documents are needed for a divorce settlement?
Documents that show income, real estate, accounts, life insurance, debts, pensions, and automobiles will all need to be collected. Having these documents in order can help present a stronger case to the court. It is also important to note that withholding important documents can have negative repercussions in the divorce case.
Some documents to give to an attorney during a divorce include:
- Individual and spouse's paycheck stubs for the past year
- Federal and state tax returns, both joint and individual
- Financial statements of net worth for loan applications
- Real estate purchase documents
- Mortgage statements
- Bank statements on individual and joint bank accounts
- Life insurance policies
- Itemized lists of debts
- Pension and other retirement fund statements
- Titles to automobiles owned
These are only some of the documents that an attorney will ask for in the divorce process. Depending on your individual situation and goals for your divorce, your legal representative may ask for other types of documentation. Copies of these documents will likely be needed, as the other spouse will also need to present these documents to their attorney as well.
If you are going through a divorce and are unsure of how to obtain documentation of property, assets, and debts, contact a trusted divorce attorney at Claery & Hammond to help guide you through the process.