The court will require certain documents for your divorce. A Petition for divorce or legal separation needs to be filed with the court to begin the process. And several other documents will be required. For example, both you and your spouse will each need to fill out a Sworn Financial Statement. It is similar to a reasonably simple tax form and tells the court about your income, expenses, assets and debts. You also will need to provide the court with a Certificate of Mandatory Disclosure.
The most important document you will create is a Separation Agreement, which is similar to a contract and becomes an enforceable court order. In it you will specify all the financial agreements pertinent to your divorce, such as what will happen to your home, cars, bank accounts, retirement funds etc. and if maintenance (formerly called alimony) will be paid. If you have children, a Parenting Plan needs to be created that deals with decision-making regarding the children, parenting time and child support. Developing a well-crafted Separation Agreement and a detailed Parenting Plan will ensure a fair divorce settlement and help to avoid later disputes involving the children.
Other documents you may need to prepare include a Support Order for maintenance and/or child support, and a Decree.
A Center for Divorce Solutions can prepare or help you prepare all of the documents you need for your divorce, tailored to the terms of your particular case.