There are copies of documents you will need for your divorce in Maryland. If you are thinking about seeking a divorce, gathering copies of those documents is one thing that you can do to plan for your divorce.

There are some good reasons to do this. First, you may not be certain, at this time, where those documents are. So, now is the time to conduct the search and find the “box at the top of the closet” or wherever else the documents might be. A key document, for example, is your marriage license. Its location may be temporarily unknown because of a relocation or other reasons. Second, in the lead-up to a divorce, you may think you will have complete access to the house to search for the needed documents. But, there are many circumstances — maybe unexpected — when you will NOT have such access. For this reason, it may be useful to gather the documents in advance.

Importantly, the purpose of advance planning is NOT to prevent your spouse from gathering the same documents that they need. Do NOT hide the documents. Rather, you are just doing advance planning in the event that a divorce is necessary.

Note further that if you end up not having some necessary documents, do not worry too much. There are legal mechanisms for filing a divorce and then asking the Maryland divorce court judge to Order your spouse to either give you access to the documents or provide you copies. For example, if you do not have a copy of the marriage license, you can submit a sworn statement — an affidavit — stating that the marriage certificate exists but that, after diligent efforts, you are unable, at this time, to obtain a copy. A Maryland divorce court will accept that and, as noted, may quickly order your spouse to provide a copy. If you have questions about these matters, call the experienced family law and divorce attorneys at the Law Office of Robert Castro. Call us at (301)870-1200. We have offices in Waldorf, Maryland.

After you have gathered some of the needed documents, it is probably wise to have the collection placed in the care of a friend or family member or, maybe, located at your workplace, where they will be free from interference from your spouse. Your spouse may not be “nasty” about such things, but precaution is better than being caught unprepared.

So, these are the types of documents that you will need. You will not need all of these documents if they are not applicable to your individual circumstances.

• Marriage certificate
• Any prenuptial agreements or any other agreements entered into between the spouses
• Copies of deeds for property
• Copies of titles to vehicles and other types of documents showing ownership and title to property
• Wage and earning statements (for each spouse)
• Last three years of filed tax returns
• Financial and bank statements — the most recent several months
• Documents related to any inheritance or gifts to either spouse or both
• Documents related to a family business
• IRA and retirement account documents
• Documents related to any property/assets that one spouse might claim to personal, non-marital, property
• Documents related to children and child-related expenses
• Documents, if any, related to any claim that your spouse has been wasting or hiding marital assets

Contact Waldorf, Maryland Family Law and Divorce Lawyer Robert Castro Today

This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland family law and divorce lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Divorce lawyers. Our address is 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD, 20601.