Your Initial Consultation with an Attorney

ByBobbie Batley Updated:

Little-Gilman-Collaborative-Divorce

The initial consultation with an attorney to discuss divorce can be difficult and an emotional drain. These are some steps that can make the process easier for you:

1. Bring as much financial information as possible:
The more documentation you gather about your financial situation, the better. Some of the important details are:

  • The income you and your spouse earn
  • The retirement and non-retirement assets you each have
  • Real Estates and Vehicles that you obtain titles for the businesses or professional practices that you or your spouse have interest in
  • A list of all current debts
  • Evidence of assets acquired before marriage, whether gift or from inheritance

The critical documents are tax returns, savings/checking/investment account statements, and credit
card statements. Of course, it is sometimes difficult to gather this information beforehand, but we can get a better overview of you financial situation. We can then tell you what information is still needed for a complete assessment so you can supply the missing documentation.

2. Be prepared to discuss the details of the history of your marriage the more information the better, we can tell if it is not relevant, but missing a valuable piece of information can be detrimental.

  • The respective work history of you and your spouse
  • Who was the primary caregiver of the children
  • The type of lifestyle you maintain
  • What are your typical expenses
  • Do either of you or your children have any healthcare or special needs

3. Emotional pain does not equal more money-Emotional suffering does not always imply financial advantage.
• It is an opportunity to share your story and your feelings
• Because your spouse cheated on you does not mean that you are going to gain financially in the
settlement
• Sometimes there are other factors in play such as spending of your join marital assets on a
girlfriend or boyfriend

4. You want to find an attorney with experience that can help make the divorce process as easy as possible. A good attorney will give you a realistic expectation of what is involved in your divorce matter, and help you know what to expect as an outcome of the process.