Divorce Basics Attorney in Los Angeles, California

Preparing for Divorce: What should one do to prepare for a divorce?

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I would say the best way for people to prepare for divorce as a practical matter, I don’t think anything can really prepare a person for divorce emotionally that is a very, very different avenue and question and I’m not prepared to give people advice about that. But in terms of practicality, I think it really helps if a person has knowledge of where their tax returns are, where their bank statements are, can they access them online? Credit card statements. Deeds, not so much they are usually a matter of public record, Promissory notes, lease contracts for automobiles. Do you have your paperwork together so that you can assist me as your lawyer in figuring out what are your assets, what are your debts? Do we need to look into this further?

You know, do you have a comparison of your tax returns so that for example, in the year 2015 there was interest income reflected on schedule B from these accounts and then in 2016 oh, not al those accounts show up. And then in 2017, oh, there’s even less accounts. Well, what happened to those accounts? Why are they not there? There might be a perfectly legitimate reason but maybe not. Or there is far less income showing for interest income, for example, than in previous years. Well, why is that, let’s explore that.

So I think that having your paperwork available so that you don’t have to run up fees in discovery asking the other side to produce these documents. If you have them yourself that can be an advantage and can lower the costs and the fees to be incurred in the divorce.

Los Angeles, CA family law attorney Joanne Ratinoff talks about what one should do to prepare for a divorce. She explains that when it comes to practical preparation for divorce, there are certain steps that can be taken. While I can’t offer guidance on the emotional aspect, here are some practical considerations. It is beneficial if individuals have knowledge of the location of important documents such as tax returns, bank statements, and credit card statements. Are these accessible online or readily available in physical copies? Deeds and lease contracts for automobiles may not be as crucial since they are typically matters of public record. However, having all your paperwork organized and easily accessible can assist your lawyer, like myself, in understanding your assets and debts, and whether further investigation is required.

For instance, having a comparison of your tax returns can be helpful. Suppose in 2015, there was interest income listed on schedule B from certain accounts, but in subsequent years, those accounts no longer appear. This raises questions about what happened to those accounts and why the interest income decreased. While there might be valid reasons, it’s important to explore these changes and understand their implications.

By having your documentation in order, you can potentially avoid incurring additional fees during the discovery process, where requests are made to the other party to produce relevant documents. If you already possess these documents, it can streamline the divorce proceedings and reduce costs.

In summary, being well-prepared with your paperwork can provide advantages, minimize expenses, and facilitate a smoother divorce process.

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