What to Collect and Organize Before Meeting with a Divorce Lawyer for the First Time
Whether you just found out that your spouse filed for divorce or you have made the decision to end your marriage, the first legal step in the process is contacting a reputable divorce lawyer. Once you’ve scheduled your initial consultation, it’s time to prepare for your meeting.
Divorce gets complicated- and fast. The more you’re prepared with the evidence and background information needed, the easier it will be for your lawyer to get involved immediately. If you have a complex financial situation such as a spouse hiding assets, are a military spouse with a deployed partner who can’t or won’t respond, or are worried about actions of domestic violence, you need to share these details upfront. The more your divorce lawyer knows, the better a case they can build.
When you have organized and collected the materials you will need for your initial case review, Colorado divorce lawyer Mitch Geller will be able to give you a better perspective specific to your case. .
1. A List of Your Questions and Concerns
First things first: make yourself a list of questions and concerns you have. You can write them down or make a list in the Notes app on your iPhone. But you do not want to get home from your consultation and realize you forgot to ask some of your most important questions. Some of the different questions you might want to ask your potential divorce lawyer include:
How long might my divorce take?
How much will my divorce cost?
Will I have to pay spousal maintenance?
Am I entitled to spousal maintenance?
Will I have to pay child support?
What happens if we can’t agree on our divorce settlement?
How much experience do you have with divorces like mine?
If you have any additional questions and concerns that were not listed above, do not hesitate to include them in your list. Your divorce lawyer is working for you to obtain the best outcome for your future. You should feel confident that you and your lawyer are on the same page. If they’re not taking your concerns seriously, it’s not a good fit.
2. Financial Records
Some of the most important things you should begin to collect and organize are your financial records. Make copies of any financial documents that are relevant to your marriage and potential divorce settlement. Some of the different types of financial records you might look for include:
Tax returns
Pay stubs
A list of your marital assets and debts
Recent valuations
Date and purchase price of assets
These financial documents are going to play a significant role in helping your Colorado divorce lawyer figure out how difficult it might be to distribute your marital property. It can also aid in figuring out how much spousal maintenance might be paid in your divorce.
3. Other Relevant Documents
Documentation is key in divorces. Particularly those where the divorce process has been or is expected to be less than amicable. In addition to financial records, other relevant documents could help you protect yourself and get the outcome you’re hoping for. Some of these documents could include:
Prenuptial agreements
Postnuptial agreements
Your separation agreement, if any
Yours and your child’s birth certificates
Yours and your child’s social security cards
Yours and your child’s passports
If there are other relevant documents that you think could impact your divorce settlement, be sure to bring them when you head in to meet with your divorce lawyer.
4. Evidence Against Your Ex-Spouse
Colorado is a no-fault state for divorce. This means that neither party needs to show that one has wronged the other for there to be grounds for divorce. The person filing for divorce must merely state that the marriage has irretrievably broken down.
Fault can impact property distribution, but not maintenance. The only time in which fault issues could be used in determination of maintenance is if one spouse can show wasting of marital assets tied to gifting/spending on another person due to adultery.
Fault issues could also influence the outcome of your child custody proceedings as well. This is particularly true in cases where there have been claims of domestic violence or abuse. If you have any evidence that could be used against your spouse in your divorce proceedings, bring it to your divorce lawyer and together you can determine whether such evidence needs to be used to resolve your divorce settlement and family law case.
Contact a Colorado Divorce Lawyer Today
These are only a few of the key materials you should collect and organize when preparing for your consultation with Colorado divorce lawyer Mitch Geller. Do you have questions about the divorce process in Colorado? Schedule a no-risk consultation to discuss the details of your family law case. You can reach us by phone at 720-696-7897 or through our online contact form.