Information to Collect

Copies of any existing orders or decrees presently governing the particular issue. Copies of any motion papers, summons or other legal papers that are beginning a legal proceeding and that set out any dates or deadlines. For custody issues: history of child care, names of professionals involved with the parents or child, name of daycare, name of school, any other information that would give someone a good picture of the child's life.

For child support or spousal maintenance issues: past and current paystubs, last 3-5 years of income tax returns, profit and loss statements for self-employed persons, monthly budgets, any documentation that would tend to verify monthly budgets, information on education and job training, work history. For property issues: list of property, documentation verifying value, documentation verifying any recent use of the assets, documentation showing how and when any nonmarital property was received and what use, if any, was made of it. For debt issues: documentation verifying current balance, identity of any collateral securing the debt, documentation showing what use was made of the credit/loan proceeds, payoff date.