If you are a Florida resident preparing to get a divorce, you probably want to start figuring out which of your and your spouse’s assets constitute marital property. Marital property is nearly anything acquired during a marriage, and it must be split “equitably,” or fairly, upon divorce. Marital property includes income earned during marriage, which means your ex – and your family law attorney – will want to see your past income tax returns, as well as other documents related to income. Before speaking to a family law attorney, it is helpful to gather tax returns along with paycheck stubs, your spouse’s paycheck stubs, documents reflecting business expenses and business income, financial statements, and check ledgers. You should try to gather these income documents from at least three years back.
Other financial documents
Other key documents to show to your family law attorney include bank account statements for the past few years, for both joint and separate accounts you hold, including savings and investment accounts. If you have any insurance policies, bring those to the meeting with your attorney as well. Do not forget about pension funds, mutual funds, IRAs and other retirement accounts, especially if you named your spouse as the beneficiary on one of these funds. Presumably, you will want to designate new beneficiaries on at least some of your plans.
Real estate documents
In addition to financial documents, you should also compile documents pertaining to real estate that you and your spouse jointly own. This could include mortgage statements, documents reflecting the down payment on the house, or tax appraisals.
Documents reflecting other assets and debts
Bring your title or registration for all vehicles you own when you meet with your family law attorney. If you owe payments on your car, bring documents reflecting your outstanding balance. Debts acquired during marriage are also accounted for when dividing marital assets equitably. Your attorney may be able to help you determine which assets constitute marital property and which are separate property.
