What Should I Bring to My First Meeting with a Divorce Lawyer?

Should I Bring Documents to My First Meeting with a Divorce Lawyer or Mediator?

Usually, the answer is: No. It is often impossible in a first meeting to discuss the high-level general concepts involved in a divorce process with your lawyer, and also have time to review the details found in most financial documents.

There are a couple of exceptions to this guideline, though:

1. If you have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, bring it with you. Those documents outline any pre-arranged terms of property division or spousal support (alimony), which can potentially impact your divorce proceedings.
2. If there are any existing court orders in place, such as a criminal protective order, civil restraining order, or any existing family court orders and/or previously executed financial affidavits, it can be very helpful to have those documents handy during an initial consultation.

What Can I Expect to Occur at My First Meeting with a Divorce Lawyer or Mediator?

Every professional works differently at initial consultations. Some law firms will ask you to complete lengthy questionnaires, or complete other paperwork before the meeting starts. Some offices will have young associates, or even paralegals handle the initial intake – with the lead attorney only spending a few minutes with you at the end of the session. We choose to do things differently.

At the Law Offices of Eric R. Posmantier, LLC, an initial consultation is a 60 to 90 minute meeting with the attorney (or mediator) who will be responsible for your matter. When you arrive (or appear on screen for a Zoom consultation), we intentionally do not give you paperwork to fill out. Rather, you are encouraged to sit and relax for a few minutes before your meeting begins.

We then use the intake process to ask probing questions, and invite you to do the same. The result of this approach is often a rich discussion designed both to elicit and obtain information, as well as to get to know one another at a more personal level. We believe this is important because a divorce is a deeply personal process, and while your facilitator should be a great legal technician, he or she should also be someone you can trust with your thoughts and feelings, not to mention your confidential financial information.

The goal of the initial consultation, at least at our office, is for you to get your pressing process-related questions answered, address any immediate fears and concerns, and to ensure that you leave feeling that the professional with whom you met can be someone you can fully and completely trust going forward.

Should you elect to retain our office, there will be plenty of time later (as well as a procedure) to gather the necessary financial, and other legally important details – both from you and your spouse.

Should I Prepare a List of Questions Before the First Meeting?

Sure. Preparing a list of questions can be useful. At the same time, don’t worry too much about it. You will leave the initial consultation with lots of information – and, probably with answers to many questions you didn’t even know you had! Legal proceedings are a marathon, not a sprint. So, if you forget a question at the initial consultation, there will be time to ask it later.

Are There Documents I Should Gather at the Early Stages of a Divorce Process?

Absolutely! Some important financial documents include, but are not limited to:

• Bank Statements: The last twelve to thirty-six months’ worth of joint and individual bank statements for savings, checking, investment and credit card accounts are usually helpful.
• Tax Returns: Copies of your tax returns for the past three to five years can assist with painting a picture of your financial situation.
• Pay Stubs: Your most recent pay stub, and the last paystub from the prior year can be important because tax returns report only taxable income (as opposed to all income received from an employer).
• Property Deeds and Mortgage Statements: If you own any property, deeds and the latest mortgage statement are both important.
• Retirement and Pension Statements: Retirement accounts, 401(k)s, IRAs, and pensions are often significant assets in a divorce. Gather statements showing the current value of these accounts.

Gathering and organizing these documents at the early stage of a divorce process will make things easier for your attorney and/or mediator to move forward efficiently. However, do not feel that you need to do this in advance of the initial consultation.

If you and your spouse would like to speak with an experienced mediator, or if you wish to speak with a Connecticut divorce lawyer about your case, please don’t hesitate to contact the Law Offices of Eric R. Posmantier, LLC today.