The divorce process is going to produce a lot of paperwork. It is basically inevitable. Does that mean you can throw everything out once your divorce is finalized and you are done with the court dates? No, there are actually a few pieces of divorce paperwork that you will definitely want to keep. Our Nassau County divorce lawyers can help you sort through everything and keep the really important papers filed away.
Which Divorce Paperwork Should I Hold Onto?
You need some of this divorce paperwork for your records, including the:
Divorce settlement agreement: This gives you all of the relevant details about your divorce and what was agreed to. It should contain info about your child custody agreement, how the marital property was divided, and what kind of spousal support or child support is owed. Keeping this can make it easier for you to point out if your ex-spouse is in violation of your agreement at any time. This paperwork can also be useful if you ever want to fight for a change to some part of your agreement,
Marriage license: Your marriage license shows when you were married and for how long. This is useful for a few reasons. First, if you plan to change your name back to your maiden name, the one you had before you got married, this makes the process a bit easier. Another good reason to keep it is that a document that shows how long you were married can help you qualify for certain social security benefits.
Record of child support or spousal support payments: Whether you are the one making payments or the one receiving them, keep copies of the checks sent each month. This can make it easier to track payments and fix things if a payment is missed. Sometimes it is just an innocent mistake on the part of the paying spouse. If it is instead an intentional withholding of funds, having the previous checks can also make that easy to show.
Any appraisals: If you have any assets that were appraised during your divorce, you should keep copies of those appraisals with your divorce paperwork. Whether you are dealing with real estate, collectibles, or antiques, the value of some property can change over time. Having a way to prove the value of something at the time of the divorce can help you protect yourself and your assets.
Your own financial documents: If you ever want to ask for a change in your alimony or child support agreements, you are going to need to keep financial records from the last few years. Annual tax returns, bank statements, and anything else that can make it easy to see changes in your financial situation can help you make your case.
If You Are Looking for a Divorce Lawyer
When you need legal assistance, contact Peter V. Mandi & Associates, Inc. We can schedule a consultation and tell you more about how our attorneys can be of assistance. Put an experienced divorce lawyer on your team today.
