The Divorce Checklist: What Documents to Gather Before Your First Consultation

Bring the Right Papers to Your First Meeting

Your first divorce meeting should give your lawyer a clear view of your life. The right records help your attorney spot risks, protect assets, and plan next steps.

Before you meet with Divorce Lawyers Fort Wayne, gather documents that show your income, debts, property, children’s needs, and household costs. You do not need a perfect file. Start with what you can find.

Allen County lists divorce forms and notes that a person must live in Indiana for six months and in the filing county for 90 days before filing a divorce petition there.

Personal and Case Information

Start with basic records. Bring your full legal name, date of birth, address, phone number, and email. Bring the same details for your spouse.

Also bring your marriage date, separation date, and any past court orders. If you have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, bring a copy.

Helpful Personal Records

Bring your marriage license, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and names of all children. If there are safety concerns, bring police reports, protective orders, or written proof of threats.

Income and Employment Records

Money is a key part of divorce. Your lawyer needs a clear look at both spouses’ income.

Bring recent pay stubs, W-2 forms, 1099 forms, tax returns, bonus records, and proof of tips or cash income. If you own a business, bring profit and loss reports, balance sheets, payroll records, and business tax returns.

Indiana Trial Rule 26 allows parties to obtain discovery through tools such as depositions, written questions, document requests, and requests for admission. Good records can help your lawyer answer or send these requests with care.

Bank, Debt, and Monthly Bill Records

Bring statements for checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, loans, and lines of credit. Include both joint and separate accounts.

Also bring records for rent, mortgage, utilities, insurance, phone bills, child care, school costs, medical bills, and car payments.

Why Monthly Costs Matter

Monthly costs can affect child support, temporary support, and settlement talks. A clear budget also helps your lawyer see what you can afford during the case.

Home, Property, and Asset Records

Indiana courts divide marital property in divorce. Indiana law starts with the view that an equal split is fair, but a spouse may present evidence to ask for a different result.

Bring deeds, mortgage records, appraisals, closing papers, lease papers, vehicle titles, retirement statements, pension records, stock accounts, crypto records, life insurance values, and lists of valuable items.

Do not forget tools, jewelry, firearms, furniture, art, collectibles, and family heirlooms. Take photos when safe and lawful.

Child-Related Documents

If you have children, bring school records, daycare bills, health insurance cards, medical records, activity costs, and any child support orders.

Bring a rough parenting schedule. Include school pickups, overnights, holidays, and who handles doctor visits. Indiana Legal Help provides different divorce form paths for cases with children, without children, agreed cases, and contested cases.

Messages and Proof of Conduct

Texts, emails, social media posts, and call logs may matter. Bring messages that relate to parenting, money, safety, property, or threats.

Do not bring every argument. Choose records that prove an issue. Keep full threads when possible, with dates and names shown.

Financial Declaration Items

Many Indiana divorce cases use a financial declaration. Allen Circuit Court lists a Verified Financial Declaration Form and instructions among its family law forms.

That form often asks for income, expenses, assets, and debts. Your documents help make the form complete and accurate.

A Simple Packing List

Bring these items to your first meeting:

• Tax returns for the last three years

• Recent pay stubs and income proof

• Bank and credit card statements

• Mortgage, lease, and utility bills

• Loan and debt records

• Retirement and investment statements

• Insurance papers

• Vehicle titles and loan records

• Business records

• Child care, school, and medical costs

• Court orders and legal agreements

• Key texts, emails, and photos

Get Organized Before You Meet

Use folders or labeled files. Sort records by topic and date. Make digital copies when possible.