3 Things To Do Before Your Divorce Consultation

One of the first steps you take when you know you want a divorce is to contact a divorce lawyer for a consultation. Beyond taking this initial step, many people do not know what else to do. This leaves you unprepared when you do have your consultation appointment. If you want to be prepared so that you can discuss your options fully and move the process along quickly, there are some things you can do prior to the consultation. Here are three things to do that will help prepare you.

Plan of Custody

If you have children with your spouse, you may want to consider having a general plan for custody in mind. This can be a very basic plan that states what you would like to happen with the child custody. It should have an idea of who would have full custody, how you would like weekend custody and visitation to work, as well as any child support payment proposals you would have in mind. This can give your divorce lawyer an idea of a starting point and can make certain choices available to be settled out of court.

Property Issues

If you own property with your spouse, you may already have in mind what property you would like to retain after the divorce. This property may be the family home, cars, or vacation property. Though the ultimate decision of who gets the property may come down to a judge or state law decree, you should have an idea in mind of how you want the property divided. If you have proof, such as a deed, that you own the property and not your spouse, you will want to have that with you as well. If you have been paying the bills on the property and your spouse has not, you may want to consider bringing proof of that with you as well.

Proof of Divorce Reasoning

The reason for your divorce may be required by your state divorce law. For example, if it is adultery-related, you will need to note that. If you have a specific reason, such as adultery, you will need to bring proof of that with you. This may be in the form of text messages, pictures, letters, or a log documenting when your spouse cheated and with who. Any information related to proof of adultery can help your divorce case and can show valid reasoning to move forward with the divorce.

By taking these three steps into consideration, you can be better prepared for the divorce consultation. Remember to also check your divorce lawyer's website for additional information. Many lawyers may list specific paperwork that you can complete prior to the appointment. This can usually be found under new consultations or clients tabs on the websites with a downloadable option for the paperwork.

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