divorce california what should i bring to first meeting with lawyer

If you or you and your spouse have recently completed a financial statement for a bank or mortgage company, bring it to your first meeting. If not, sketch out for your attorney your basic assets — cash, checking accounts, savings accounts, IRAs, 401K, pension funds, houses and real estate, automobiles, and other assets of significant value.

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What should I bring to my first meeting with my divorce attorney?

Sep 14, 2020 · The most important document to bring to your first meeting with a divorce attorney is a completed Schedule of Assets and Debts (Form FL-142). A Schedule of Assets and Debts records all community/marital property, separate property, debts, and must include supporting documentation.

What happens in a first meeting with a divorce attorney in California?

Aug 21, 2017 · There is a lot of information in a tax return that can be helpful to your attorney. If you can, bring one or two years to your initial consultation. The attachments (W2s, 1099s, etc) can also be very helpful, so don’t omit copying those. Last 3 Paystubs (yours and your spouse’s).

What do I need to prepare for a divorce in California?

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When should you meet with your divorce attorney?

Jun 28, 2006 · The next group of items that you will need to bring to your first meeting with you attorney is financial information. Your attorney will need to know about your assets and liabilities. If you or you and your spouse have recently completed a financial statement for a bank or mortgage company, bring it to your first meeting.

What should I ask at my first divorce consultation?

In your first meeting, you should provide the lawyer with information about many issues related to your family, including:Length and place of marriage.History of your marriage and how your marriage broke down.Your income and that of your husbands.Information about your children.Your marital assets.More items...

What do I wear to meet my lawyer?

The standard attire for meeting with you lawyer should be business casual. Wear dress pants, a nice shirt or top. Women should wear a conservative dress or skirt. Nothing too revealing.Sep 4, 2019

How do I prepare for my first meeting with a lawyer?

Tips For Meeting With Your Lawyer For the First TimeDress To Impress. ... Be Ready To Give Your Attorney Important Information About Yourself. ... Gather Your Evidence And Have It Ready For Your First Meeting. ... Get Your Facts Straight. ... Plan Something You Can Look Forward To For After Your Meeting.

How do I prepare for an attorney meeting?

How to prepare for your meetingGather together all the documents that you have about your case.​Think about what you want to say. ... Make a list of questions you want to ask. ... Be prepared to talk about fees. ... Legal Aid clients should bring a Legal Aid Certificate to their first meeting.

How can I make the most of my first meeting with my lawyer?

Be prepared and organized. Bring basic information such as a simple statement of assets and liabilities, tax returns for the past three years and it is recommend that clients bring notes with bullet point topics they would like to discuss and questions they seek to have answered.

Should I bring all of my records to the first meeting?

No. In the first meeting, we will provide you with a comprehensive list documents for you to help us gather. Those will be reviewed and discussed in follow-up meetings. It would be very inefficient and expensive to actually review extensive documents during the first meeting.

What information are you looking for in the first meeting?

At the first meeting, we look for broad information. We want to identify the major assets and liabilities, know if there are likely to be issues with parenting the children, examine what the typical monthly income and expenses have been to make an initial determination as to the need for spousal maintenance.

What to expect when meeting with a divorce attorney?

If it is your first meeting with your divorce attorney, you probably fall into one of three categories. The first category is when you are unhappy in your marriage, know very little about divorce, and want to gather some basic information so you can make educated decisions about preserving or ending your marriage. You do not really know whether or not you are going to get divorced. You just want to know what your options are. The second category is when you have made the decision to end your marriage and you are meeting with your divorce attorney for the first time because you want to file a divorce. You are over a lot of the emotional pain and you are now ready for action. The third category is when your spouse has filed a divorce against you and you need to protect your rights. You may have been served with a citation — an official document from the court advising you that you have been sued for divorce and giving you a specific time to respond to the court or ordering you to appear in court on a specific date. Alternatively, you may have received a letter from your spouse’s attorney asking you to get an attorney and warning you that if you don’t, you will be served with a citation. In any event, it is time for you to respond.

What do you need to know before a divorce?

One is simple biographical information– your full name, address, phone numbers, place of employment, address of employment, date of birth, your driver’s license number, ...

What is a citation in divorce?

You may have been served with a citation — an official document from the court advising you that you have been sued for divorce and giving you a specific time to respond to the court or ordering you to appear in court on a specific date.

What is the second category of divorce?

The second category is when you have made the decision to end your marriage and you are meeting with your divorce attorney for the first time because you want to file a divorce. You are over a lot of the emotional pain and you are now ready for action. The third category is when your spouse has filed a divorce against you ...

What is the goal of hiring an attorney?

For many women, the ‘goal’ of hiring an attorney may simply be “get me outta this marriage!” But honing in on what you want your life to look like after the divorce dust has settled can be a useful tool for identifying how you want to work through the process of ending your marriage.

Can you represent yourself in divorce?

Most states allow individuals to represent themselves in the divorce process. And, it’s more common than you think: 80 percent of divorces involve at least one party representing themselves. Lots of people go this route – which means you can, too.

Is it a good idea to talk to a lawyer about divorce?

If you’ve made up your mind and there’s no alternative but divorce, talking to at least a few lawyers is always a good idea. The first consultation is usually always free, so you’ve got nothing to lose. But, you can gain a lot of information during attorney interviews if you head into the conversation armed with the right questions.