Information To Bring To Your First Consultation With A Divorce Lawyer

When you make the decision to get a divorce, one of the first things you will need to do is schedule a consultation with a divorce lawyer. While you don't necessarily have to hire an attorney to help you file for divorce, hiring one of these legal professionals is always recommended. The more prepared you are for your initial consultation, the more efficiently the chosen attorney can work on your case. Here is a look at the types of information you should bring with you to your initial consultation with a divorce lawyer. 

Financial Documents 

Bank account statements, proof of income, debt information — all of this information should be brought to your initial consultation. During the meeting, the attorney will be looking at the financial status of the marriage and of each individual to get a general idea of the work involved in fairly splitting up the property. 

Documents Related to Any Existing Legal Agreement or Proceeding 

The marriage in itself is a legal agreement of sorts, but several types of legal agreements can be part of the marriage or extensions of that agreement. For example, a prenuptial agreement is a legal agreement set forth before the marriage is established that can protect certain personal assets from having to be divided during a divorce. Your divorce attorney will need to know about any legal agreement that pertains to the marriage or your situation. 

Evidence to Support Substantial Claims 

In the event you have certain claims about the relationship or even the ownership of certain properties, it is good to bring along your evidence to serve as proof of what you are saying. For example, in some states, proof of domestic violence can help quicken a divorce proceeding. Therefore, bringing any proof you can supply that domestic violence has been an issue may benefit you going forward. Likewise, if you feel entitled to a significant portion of the marriage property for any certain reason, you should bring along proof as to why. 

Shared Business Information 

In the age of everyday entrepreneurs, more married couples own joint business properties. If this happens to be the case with you and your current spouse, bring along documents or information to explain these joint ventures. For example, if the two of you have an eBay store that you have operated together that yields a substantial income or a YouTube channel that garners an income, these are things your divorce lawyer should know about.

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