If you have decided to seek a divorce in Wisconsin, you will want to prepare for your first meeting with your attorney. Gathering as many of your documents as possible before that first meeting might help your attorney form a clearer understanding of your situation and even save you money since it will save time in the divorce process.
The complete picture
When you begin preparing for divorce, you will want to show your attorney the complete picture of your life. This will include documents related to the property you have acquired, both individual and marital, documents related to your children and their upbringing and documents related to your overall situation and relationship with your soon-to-be ex-spouse.
Finances and the division of property
One of the major aspects of divorce will be the negotiations for the division of property. Some of the documents that you should gather related to this include:
• Prenup or postnup agreements
• Proof of each spouse’s current income
• Bank statements from savings, investment and credit accounts
• Stock, bonds and other certificates of deposit
• Mortgages and other loan information
• Any business-related documents such as tax returns and titles
• A list of all personal and marital items
• Pensions, retirement and insurance information
Child custody and support
If you are a parent, another major concern during the divorce will be child custody and support. To begin preparing for this discussion, you should gather documents such as:
• Copies of bills related to the children’s education and extracurricular activities
• Children’s medical records information
• Your children’s school and activities schedules
• Your and your spouse’s work and activities schedules
Each family’s situation is different, as is the road to divorce. For this reason, you will want to help your attorney understand your situation so they can help you create clear, realistic goals for your divorce process.