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Some divorces are a surprise while the end of some marriages is a long time coming. Either way, the divorce process allows you time to clear your head and get your information and assets in order before actually filing any paperwork or appearing before a judge. Here are four ways to get organized before you head to court.
1. Answer the Important Questions
What belongs to you? What belongs to your spouse? What do you own jointly? What debts do you have? What do you owe individually and jointly? What are your sources of income? What are your living expenses? What are your financial and physical assets?
These are critical questions that everyone who is embarking on a divorce must answer. What you may think is a shared debt or asset may actually belong to only you or only your spouse. Divorce law can be complicated, but the right divorce attorney will guide you in answering these questions so that they can ensure that your settlement is fair and includes an equitable distribution of liabilities and assets. Certified divorce financial analysts can also help you get your affairs in order in preparation for your meeting with your divorce attorney as you and your spouse prepare to divide your financial lives.
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2. Gather Documentation
Accurate financial data in a divorce is crucial. It’s necessary to gather together income tax returns, brokerage statements, employee benefits summaries, pay stubs, joint financial statements, as well as documentation regarding mortgages, joint credit cards, and other investments. At times, one half of the couple may not be forthcoming regarding financial matters and it may be difficult to locate the relevant information. If so, it’s important to discover why these assets are hidden. And to figure out how to pull together all the details needed to create a fair settlement.
Though Michigan is a no-fault divorce state, fault can certainly come into play, especially when infidelity, addiction, abuse, or other unsavory behavior is involved. In situations like this, digital documentation can include gathering text messages, email trails, or social media activity logs to help you get child custody, parenting time, or spousal support to swing in your favor.
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3. Keep Notes
Divorce has a nasty habit of taking over your life, whether you’re in the beginning stages or close to settlement. But life will continue on as you deal with this major change and your concerns and questions can get away from you. Keep a designated notebook so that you can write down questions as they come to you – and then write down the answers after you ask the questions of your attorney, financial expert, or therapist, whichever the case may be. This should be where you also keep relevant paperwork that you need to review or reference throughout your divorce.
4. Be Patient
There is no rush to make your divorce happen. All right, maybe it feels like your divorce can’t happen soon enough, but to make the best decisions it pays to take time to do your homework, gather information, and meet with your crew of experts before making major decisions about your divorce settlement. The choices you make at this juncture will affect the rest of your life. Contact Femminineo Attorneys in Mt. Clemens, MI, to schedule your free initial interview.
Most lawyers are in a general practice and do some of everything. One of our main focuses is on Family law and being expert at divorce, custody and support matters.
We are in court daily, working with the family court judges, their staff and clerks, the Friend of the Court office, the Bar Association and other attorneys working in this area. We pride ourselves on fighting hard for our clients while working well with everyone.
Our extensive experience and strong relationship with the courts and our peers leads many judges and attorneys to hire us to act as Mediators in other Family Law cases. Make no mistake; having a strong working relationship with the court can have a massive impact on your case. Unlike most attorneys, we have no fear of the court room and are in trial regularly against the best in the business. We see the judges every week and maintain strong ties with their staff.
Although every attorney can “handle” your case, Femminineo Attorneys cares about you and your family. We work extremely hard to keep this difficult process civil and to shelter your children from as much of the negative facets as possible.
Once your case is concluded, we will be there to help you with any post-judgment problems that may arise.
Everyone’s financial situation is different and we work with our clients to formulate a fee arrangement that works within your means.
We have handled every possible situation involving domestic law. We will do everything possible to wrap up your case in a timely manner, avoiding delays that cause unnecessary legal fees.
When your case cannot be easily solved, we will fight hard and use all of our resources to win. Unlike most attorneys, we have no fear of the court room and we regularly win cases against the best in the business at trial.
Unlike many attorneys who have a part-time typist and work 30 hours a week, we have an expert staff available all day long to assist you and provide immediate service. We are available to our clients 24 hours a day through our hot line at 586-854-3654.
At Femminineo Attorneys, your case will be handled by an experienced family law attorney. Each of our attorneys in our family law division has many years of experience in handling family law matters.
During traditional business hours, please call us at:
After hours and weekends, we are still available for you to speak to an attorney via our 24 Hour messaging center:
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The information presented within this website is for general information purposes and is NOT and should not be considered as being “legal advice”. You should not act on any information presented herein without the verifying same with your attorney.