By Amy P. De Shong, AAML Pennsylvania 2022-2023 President | Wisler Pearlstine LLP

When you contact us, be prepared to provide the opposing party’s name, address, and employment information so that can identify any potential conflict of interest before you come in to see us. We will answer any questions as well as explain the cost of the consultation and how to make arrangements for payment.

Your contact with us is completely confidential and will remain so, even if we find that a potential conflict of interest prohibits us from meeting with you.

While every person’s needs are unique, we find that most prospective divorce clients want to know their rights and obligations with respect to support and asset characterization and distribution. If we have the information with which to do so, we will run support calculations and give you a sense of the likely asset and liabilities distribution. In order for us to do that, we need to have some basic financial information as follows:

1. A list of the couple’s assets and liabilities. Be sure to include retirement accounts such as Individual Retirement Accounts, pensions, and profit sharing/401(k) statements. Please include mortgage balances, credit card balances, and/or student loan balances.

2. Your most recently filed income tax return, including all schedules and attachments.

3. Current paystubs and the most recent Forms W-2 (year-end wage statement) for both parties.

4. If you or your spouse are self-employed, please bring the most recent business tax returns, any Forms K-1, and, if possible, a profit and loss statement.

5. Recent statements for all bank accounts titled to you and your spouse.

6. Information with respect to health insurance and life insurance coverage.

7. Recent credit card statements.

8. Documentation of expenses such as private school tuition, child care expenses, and special medical needs.

9. An overview of the household bills and some sense of how they are being paid and by whom.

While prospective clients often assume that they should seek or be ready to defend against the entry of a support order, we sometimes find that they are better off with an agreement that maintains their status quo. If you do not have or are not able to locate all of this information, don’t worry. Just bring what you can locate and we will take things from there!

This article was first posted in August 2016. It is intended to be used only for informational purposes. Neither this article, nor the contents of this article, are intended to be nor should be construed as legal advice.