Here's an interview sheet with questions that you should be prepared to answer during your case.. You may want to bring the sheet with you when you first meet with a lawyer as it will save them time in interviewing you and otherwise be helpful. (the more time saved the less you pay) And you may want to keep the sheet handy during your divorce to refresh your recollection about matters, and so you can add to it when necessary. The sheet can be printed out using your web browser. And you can store notes regarding your case on this site. (in left frame click on "divorce diary")

    Divorce Interview Sheet

Name:

Date/Birth:

Maiden Name:

Do you want your maiden name restored by the Court?:

Address:

Social Security #:

Phone:   Home:     Work:    Beeper:     Other:

Date of Marriage:

City/State of Marriage:

Date of Separation:

Spouse's Name,

Spouse's Address,

Does your spouse have any health problems or disabilities?

Spouse's Phone Numbers & Employment Information:

Are you seeking alimony, either temporary or permanent? (In general alimony is awarded where one party has a need for financial assistance, ie can't pay their monthly expenses on their income, and the other party has the ability to chip in)

Have you ever entered into a Pre-Nuptial agreement with your spouse before?

Have you ever married and divorced your present spouse before?

Spouse's salary:

Spouse's educational background:

Is Spouse in school now or in line for raises:

What is the best job Spouse has ever had:

What are your Spouse's skills:

Anyone have a part time job or under the table income or other income:

Do you have any health problems or disabilities?

Your educational background:

Are you in school now or in line for raises or promotion:

Do you plan to go to school or otherwise do anything to "rehabilitate" yourself:

What is the best job you ever had:

List your skills:

Your current salary:

Your current position:

Your place of Employment:

Have you ever been married before?

Do you receive alimony or child support

Do you or your spouse receive regular gifts of money or other assets from anyone, or have any expenses paid by anyone? Does anyone chip in for or contribute to your expenses or your spouse's expenses?

    RE: CHILDREN:

Name of Child:

Date of Birth:

Is your spouse the natural parent of the above children?:

Is child(ren) in good heath?

Does the child(ren) have any special needs? (educational, health, etc.)

Is there any threat of violence by your spouse?:

Has there been violence in the past in your marriage?:

Please indicate the desired child custody and visitation arrangement:

Do you feel that there is a need for supervised visitation because of your spouse's behaviors that could harm your child?:

How is your child covered by health inurance and who pays for it?:

Do you or your spouse have life insurance, and if so, how much?:

Who pays for the life insurance?

Do you have any day care expenses for your child?:

Do you have any desire to leave the area with your children?:

      Non-Child Related Issues

What real property (land and buildings) do you and/or your spouse own?
       (Please list all property regardless of whose name it's in, and regardless of whether it was bought before or during marriage)

Please list current value, purchase price, mortgage balance, monthly payment, and date of purchase of above property, as well as the down payment amount and where the down payment came from.

Please indicate whose name the above property is in now, and who purchased it. .

Please indicate if any improvements were made to the home during the marriage which has increased it's value.

Please indicate what you want done with the above property.

Do you and/or your spouse own a business?

How many employees are there?

How much do you think that the business could be sold for?

Would the business generate any income if neither you nor your spouse worked at it?

Please indicate the value of any pension, IRA, 401-k or retirement type programs that you or your spouse have.

Please indicate all debts which you and your spouse have, no matter whose name they are in. (please specify which if any debts were incurred before the marriage)

Please specify which if any propery was inherited by either party, or received during the marriage as a gift from a third party.(to only one of the parties of the marriage).

As to any inherited or gifted property please indicate whose name it's in now.

Please indicate what property was owned separately by one party before the marriage. (and whose name that property is in.)

Has there been any increase in value during the marriage to any property that was inheritied, gifted as stated above, or owned by one party before the marriage?

Did any of the above increase occur because of contributions of marital funds, (ie funds earned by either party during the marriage) or because of efforts made by either party during the marriage? (note that "efforts" include investment activities)

Do you think your spouse is hiding any money or assets?

Where and how much?

Has your spouse wasted or given away any significant monies or assets in the past several years?

Is your spouse guilty of adultery during the marriage?

Can you prove that your spouse spent money during your marriage on the third party?