Filling Out the Paperwork: Essential Part of the Divorce Steps

Filling out the paperwork is probably one of the most tedious of the divorce steps. Even if you are hiring a lawyer you will need to endure the boring task of either filling out the paperwork before your meeting or sitting in his or her office while they ask the questions on he application. As boring as this process seems, it is a very essential part of all the divorce steps. You cannot just skip the divorce steps and go right to filing the petition—there is too much preliminary information that is necessary before your case is ready to go into court.
If you are handling the divorce yourself it will be necessary for you to find out what kind of information and documentation you will need before you fill out the application. The divorce steps are designed to help each petitioner move smoothly through the process, so you want to make sure you follow each step precisely in order to prevent any delays in your case coming before the judge. Your lawyer will not be able to file your petition unless he or she has all of the information the court requires; if you plan to present the case yourself, the court will return the documents to you if you fail to fill everything out properly.
The paperwork always includes information on you and your spouse. You will need to provide information such as the following:
• Name, address, telephone number of petitioner and respondent
• Employment and other sources of income for petitioner and respondent
• Information about the children
• Information about property you own
• Information about your debts
There may be other information necessary depending where you live. In common law states such as California you may also have to provide information about any property that is separate and individual such as property you bought or received as gifts prior to the marriage and any property you inherited before or during the marriage. Other states may have other requirements including those states where common law marriage is legal—you may need to prove that you meet the state's requirements for the longevity of the relationship.
As part of the divorce steps you may also need to provide tax returns for several years and any kinds of written agreements you and your spouse have such as a pre-nuptial agreement. Your lawyer will only be interested in written agreements: verbal agreements have no place among the divorce steps nor will they hold up in court. This is something you want to remember before you even file for divorce. Sometimes couples will just off-handedly make statements such as, "If we ever get divorced I'll pay for you to go back to college." When it comes time to actually cash in on the agreement, the spouse is surprised to find there is nothing that can be done if the spouse refuses to make good on any verbal promises. Always make the divorce steps easy for yourself and your lawyer by making sure you have documentation for any claims you make.