Diana Telfer

Our Utah legislature was busy this past 2024 session re-numbering the entire family law related statutes.  Here’s a chart for easy reference to understand how and when alimony is determined.  Any substantive changes are in red and become effective as of September 1, 2024.

The purpose of alimony is to avoid a significant disparity between the parties’ lifestyles after their divorce.  Alimony is one of the most challenging and complex issues in a divorce because the factors can be quite subjective.  Over the past 19 years, I have expertly guided numerous clients through the complexities of alimony disputes, utilizing a range of strategic tools and solutions to achieve favorable outcomes without the need for court intervention.

For more information on alimony, feel free to contact me at (801)464-4004. 

I was raised to work. My father’s mentality was “God helps those that help themselves.” While my childhood friends enjoyed watching Saturday morning cartoons, I had my weekly chores to complete: cleaning my room, cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming and dusting the living rooms and hallways, and then weeding. Growing up in California, weeding was year-round and I hated it. Holidays were also spent working. I vividly remember a Thanksgiving where my parents told my brother and I that if we finished weeding the garden, which was no small job with flower gardens surrounding our home and an overrun juniper garden encircled by our driveway, we could “earn” ourselves a brand-new color television. I also remember my father saying when I was a teenager, “You are my only hope for a successful daughter.”

Roots of Work Ethic. So it is no surprise that I started working at the age of 16 and never stopped. Much of my self-worth has been unconsciously tied to working. After graduating with my Bachelor’s degree in psychology, not the most useful degree, I started out as a secretary moving up to a paralegal. Once I became the director of the legal department for a software company, I decided to go to law school. After law school, I worked for the Third District Guardian ad Litem’s office, started my own firm, then joined a downtown Salt Lake law firm where I was co-chair of the Family Law section. After 12 years at that firm, I fed my entrepreneurial drive and started my own family law collaborative divorce and mediation firm.

Struggles and Successes. While I’ve done well professionally as an attorney and business owner, I struggled personally. I had two failed marriages and essentially raised two daughters as a single parent. As a result of being a stressed out mother, my relationships with my daughters can be challenging at times. Had I accepted who I was when I was in my twenties rather than trying to change my core self to satisfy others, my children would have had a very different mother and a much easier childhood.

Reflection and Awakening. I previously wrote about this but after the demise of my second marriage, I was emotionally destroyed. Both marriages were unhealthy. I did not want to repeat this pattern so I began what became 8 years of self-reflection and asking curious questions. I dived deep into exploring the beliefs that I held, questioning whether those were my beliefs versus beliefs that were instilled in me. I questioned whether those beliefs still served me in a positive way. I explored my spiritual beliefs, beliefs about myself, and beliefs around what family relationships should be. I studied different religions. I studied Carl Jung, Marion Woodman, Thich Nhat Hahn, Sharon Salzburg, Wayne Dyer, Caroline Myss, Judith Orloff, and many others. I read biographies of female trailblazers. After years of study, I finally started getting a glimpse of who I really was and not being ashamed of that person. I am a direct communicator and a strong advocate that can, at times, come across as “a bull in a china shop,” as one male colleague called me.

During my self-reflection period, I changed the way I practiced as a family lawyer and how I ran my law practice. It was a struggle since my model was different than my other law firm partners. I could no longer just focus on the legal aspects of divorce. I recognized the importance of addressing the other aspects of my cases that were the “elephants in the room” and influenced decision making including the emotional fears, spiritual values, and financial concerns of the divorcing or separating couples. I wanted to help my clients see that the challenging situation they found themselves in could be an opportunity of transformation like it was for me. However, the only way to accomplish that was to provide opportunities of insight for my clients.

Evolution. It is for this reason that I offer a resource called “Our Family in Two Homes” and “Our Family in Few Homes” for divorcing or separating couples with adult children. This resource is a tool for my clients to thoughtfully prepare for negotiating their settlement. Prior to offering this resource, I would spend time with my clients asking similar questions but the clients paid for the time they met with me. Now my clients can accomplish the same on their own time.

Insight Resource. The “Our Family in Two Homes” workbook allows my clients to really think about their responses, determine what is most important, understand better where conflict arises with their partner, and think about how each of them shows up when conflict arises. The workbook helps clients figure out the values that influence their decision making process and their partners since these strongly impact the settlement negotiations. Not only does it explore the areas of trust that have been broken but the areas that have not been broken, which can be the starting point for healing the areas of trust that have been broken. All these aspects are critical in consciously creating a settlement that supports the future envisioned by my clients.

Is this something of interest? If so, feel free to complete an inquiry form or call me at (801)464-4004.

Have you ever thought that divorce could be a gift? That the brokenness you may feel when realizing your relationship is over is the beginning stage of transformation?

Thirteen and a half years ago, I found myself facing the end of my second marriage. In reality, the marriage had died twelve and a half years earlier but I was unable to acknowledge that fact.

Unconsciously, my mantra was “Don’t be a two-time loser.” My first marriage ended after three years, when my husband put me in a headlock and threatened to break my neck while I was two months pregnant, holding our 14-month-old baby girl. Fast forward 14 years and I was faced again with the demise of another marriage. Blending my second husband’s five children with my two children had not gone well. Our parenting styles were different. Our family cultures did not mesh. I was bearing the burden of being the primary breadwinner for our blended household while my second husband’s income supported his first family. We separated five years into the marriage with what I thought was an intent to work on our relationship. My hope was that by the time our youngest child graduated, we could once again live together.

After seven years of separation, I finally woke up and realized that my husband had long since left the relationship. Despite my efforts to salvage the relationship, the conflict continued. Our lives were more separate than ever. Even when my 13-year-old daughter once screamed “Just get divorced already,” I ignored her pleas. My two daughters and step-children were stuck riding the emotional rollercoaster of this unhealthy relationship.

Needless to say it took a few more years to pull the trigger–to face reality. By this time, I had graduated from law school and was a guardian ad litem, an advocate for children of divorce. I realized I had deluded myself into believing by staying married I was benefitting my own children–teaching them not to give up, to work through difficult relationships, because family must stick together. A shocking disclosure from my husband opened my eyes to finally see the shell of our relationship. Yet, I still doubted. If this marriage failed, what did that say about me? What would people think? My religion emphasized the importance of family and staying married. But, here I was faced with a second divorce. I also knew what was ahead. The initial compassion from friends and neighbors would eventually turn to isolation. Invitations from my coupled up friends stopped because having a single woman around is uncomfortable and for some, threatening. This had been my past and I was not looking forward to this future.

But our past need not repeat itself if we heed the simple calls that uncannily appear. Joseph Campbell identified this as the “The Hero’s Journey” and the “Call to Adventure.” It is Luke Skywalker rejecting the call to travel to Alderaan until he returns home to find his uncle and aunt killed. Divorce is no different. We can heed the call to adventure by diving inward. To excavate and ultimately expunge the beliefs that we acquire along our life’s journeys that no longer serve us. To find the allies who can help us hold the sadness, guilt, blame, depression, and rage that burns within, no matter how painful.

My second marriage emotionally destroyed me. Yet, from this complete and utter emotional rubble, I was motivated to turn inwards so I could find who I was, what I believed, and where I wanted to go. I discovered that many of the beliefs that I held about myself and how I relate with others were no longer serving me. These beliefs and skills helped me survive my childhood but they were not serving well in adulthood. I clarified the values that are important to me and distinguished the values that were “imposed” on me. I discovered my self-worth. I learned to set boundaries and not take ownership of other people’s issues. (Okay, I still struggle with this one.) I learned the importance of self-acceptance. (Another one I struggle with.) I faced my anger, blame, victimhood, and guilt directly. I sat with the pain. In so doing, it transformed my perceptions about myself and how I interact with the world. Most importantly, I disengaged from relationships that were damaging. I realized the importance of surrounding myself with friends, family, and associates who support and accept me as I am.

I liken the divorce process to the life cycle of a butterfly. Initially, a pupa is born as a caterpillar. But, also within the caterpillar is the DNA of the butterfly. At some point, the caterpillar must transform. It builds its chrysalis around itself. The caterpillar turns to mush and the rebuilding process begins. A butterfly emerges but not without a struggle. It is initially crumpled. It must wait for its wings to harden. But in time, it spreads its wings and soars.

Divorce can be a gift. It is an opportunity for you to discover who you are, what you want, and where you want to go. You have everything you need within you, but you need not go it alone. Find professionals who can be allies in your journey. People who work with you to create a secure chrysalis for transformation from which you can emerge with hope, security, and confidence in your future. We are out there.

Growing up in the 70s and early 80s, I did not know anyone whose parents were divorced. My first introduction to “child custody” disputes was from watching Kramer v. Kramer, the 1979 movie where the mom (Meryl Streep) abandons her husband and son but returns after 15 months to claim her child. The custody battle involved each parent’s lawyer viciously attacking the other parent’s character. It was traumatizing to watch. In the end, the court awarded the mom custody of the child even though she had abandoned the child and the father (Dustin Hoffman) had made dramatic changes to his life, including sacrificing his career, to care for his son.

For most of the 20th century, courts followed what has been called the “tender years” doctrine when awarding custody of children. The tender years doctrine is a legal doctrine that presumes a mother should be awarded custody of her children because young children need their mother regardless of the father’s involvement in the care of the child, the child’s bond to the father, or the child’s lack of bond with the mother. Luckily, the courts have evolved beyond the tender years doctrine and now determine custody based on the best interests of a child. But what does that mean?

Often, I hear clients during an initial consult explain that they need “sole custody” of their children because he or she has stayed home with the children or that he or she needs “joint custody” because that is the fair approach. But when asked what they mean by that, the clients do not fully understand. Most clients believe it just means where the children live.

Child custody involves two components. The first is legal custody, which involves decision making authority. It is the right of a parent to be involved in making long-term decisions about their child. The second is physical custody or where a child will reside.

Legal Custody

In Utah, there is a presumption that it is in the child’s best interests that both parents should be involved in all major decisions related to that child’s welfare. This typically involves decisions relating to medical issues, education, and religious upbringing. There are certain circumstances where joint legal custody (or joint decision making) may not work such as in a relationship where there has been domestic violence or where the parties live far apart. But generally it is expected that when an issue arises, each parent should be notified of an issue, talk through the options, and then arrive at a mutual agreement on how to address the issue. Most issues can be resolved this way but what happens if that is not possible? There are different approaches to resolving a disagreement including (i) giving one parent the right to make the final decision only after a discussion has occurred; (ii) attending mediation; (iii) giving a parent the right to make the final decision only after mediation is attempted; (iv) hiring a special master (usually an attorney) to make the decision; or (iv) giving neither party the right to make a final decision and requiring the issue be brought to the court if no agreement can be reached.

Physical Custody and Parent-Time

There is no such legal presumption relative to physical custody. Instead, the court looks at various factors when determining where the child should live. There are 17 specific factors that are to be considered including such things as (i) a parent’s demonstrated understanding and ability to meet the needs of the child including physical, emotional, education, medical and any special needs; (ii) the parent’s ability and willingness to co-parent including the ability to appropriately communicate with the other parent, the ability to encourage the sharing of love and affection, and willingness to allow frequent contact between the child and the other parent; (iii) who has been the primary caretaker of the child; (iv) the parent’s financial responsibility; (iv) the relative benefit of keeping siblings together; and. (v) the relative strength of the child’s bond with the parent. The non-exhaustive list of custody factors can be found here.

“Sole physical custody” means when one parent has less than 111 overnights with the children. The traditional parent-time schedule when one parent is designated the primary custodian includes a midweek visit from the time school is dismissed until 8:30 p.m., alternating weekends from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening, four consecutive weeks during the summer, and alternating holidays. Often, attorneys refer to this schedule the “30-3-35” schedule because the schedule is described in Utah Code Section 30-3-35.

“Joint physical custody” means when each parent has the children at least 30% of the overnights each year. There are a variety of joint custody arrangements. Several years ago, the Utah legislature enacted an alternative schedule where one parent’s midweek parent-time is overnight, the alternating weekend is from Friday after school dismisses until Monday morning when school resumes, four consecutive weeks in summer, and alternating holiday schedule where the children are returned when school resumes. This schedule gives one parent 145 overnights and the other parent 220 overnights. In other words, this is a 40/60 division of parent-time. This schedule is often referred to as the “30-3-35.1” schedule since it is described in Utah Code Section 30-3-35.1.

As of May 5, 2021, there is now an additional alternative schedule that a court may award that has the children spend equal time with each parent. This schedule can be found in Utah Code Section 30-3-35.2 and identifies specific factors that a court may consider when awarding a 50/50 custody arrangement. A court may award equal parent-time if the court finds that it is in the child’s best interest, each parent has been actively involved in the child’s life, and each parent can effectively facilitate the equal parent-time schedule. There are specific factors that the court is to consider when determining whether a parent has been actively involved in the child’s life including each parent’s demonstrated responsibility in caring for the child, each parent’s involvement in child care, each parent’s presence or volunteer efforts in the child’s school and at extracurricular activities, each parent’s assistance with the child’s homework, and each parent’s involvement in preparation of meals, bath time, and bedtime. Some of the more common 50/50 custody schedules include (i) a “2/2/5/5 schedule” where the children reside with one parent every Monday through Wednesday morning, the other parent from Wednesday through Friday morning and alternating weekends from Friday through Sunday morning; (ii) “week on/week off” where the children reside with each parent for a week and exchange at a designated time such as on Friday or Sunday evening; or (iv) a “4/3/3/4 schedule” where one week the children reside with parent A for 4 days and reside with parent B for 3 days and the next week the children reside with parent A for 3 days and with parent B for 4 days.

In summary, custody means much more than where a child resides. It involves how much each parent will be involved in all aspects of a child’s life. Parents are also not restricted to the statutorily defined schedules. Parents can decide any schedule that works for their family. If the parents can agree, a court will adopt their schedule. It is the extremely rare case that a judge will reject the parents’ mutually agreed upon schedule. However, if the parents cannot decide then the court is more restricted and will likely adopt one of the schedules mentioned above.

In the fall of 2020, I found myself in the emergency room.  I thought I was having a heart attack.  Luckily that wasn’t the case but the doctors had no answers for me.  They did not know what was going on.  One mentioned a panic attack. Well, whatever it was, it woke me up.  For decades, I have pushed through the stress of my job and avoided all things relating to self-care. My nature is to stay with something I commit to regardless of how unhappy or stressed it makes me. My exhaustion each night gave me the rationale to put off healthy living.  However, spending a morning in the emergency room was my wake up call.  I realized that I could no longer avoid the inevitable. I needed to face reality and figure out what changes I needed to make for a more satisfying and healthy future.

Over the next few weeks, I realized that 15 years of representing children, parents, spouses, and grandparents in high conflict domestic relations disputes was taking its toll on my physical and emotional health.  A colleague of mine had taken the plunge into a non-litigation family law practice three years earlier.  She encouraged me to take a similar step—to move away from litigation and dedicate my practice to collaborative divorce, mediation, and negotiated settlements.

I debated whether I wanted to make such a change at this point in my career.  The legal practice of family law is a challenge but the unknown is even more worrisome.  People referred clients to me because I understand and am skilled at navigating high conflict divorces involving difficult personalities, complex high net worth marital estates, and nasty custody disputes.   I worried whether a 100% out of court family law practice is sustainable.  However, my colleague had done it so why couldn’t I? Weren’t most of my clients wanting to avoid court?

Does this sound familiar?  Do you feel any of these feelings as you make decisions about the future of your marriage or relationship? The unknown is scary, but knowledge is power.

If you are contemplating divorce or ending a long-term relationship, here are your options:

Do-It-Yourself Divorce:

A 2006 survey conducted by the Utah state courts found that 47% of divorce filings in Utah involve two unrepresented parties.  Many couples either cannot afford an attorney or are afraid that hiring an attorney will create more conflict.  The Utah court system offers an online service that allows individuals to fill out forms that once completed, will provide all the documents needed to finalize their divorce.

• PROS: This process is inexpensive and relatively easy to complete.  If the issues in your divorce are not complex or your marital estate is relatively small, this may be a good option.
• CONS: The forms are often incomplete and, in my opinion, poorly drafted. Too often parties include language that conflicts with the boilerplate language in the court forms. This makes the final documents confusing and difficult to enforce. Correcting such errors is more expensive than if an attorney had been retained to draft the original divorce documents.

Mediation:

A mediator is a specially trained individual who helps parties find a common ground and facilitates reaching a settlement.  Mediators cannot represent either party or give legal advice.   If a couple is not able to reach an agreement on their own, a judge will require the couple to attempt at least one round of mediation before scheduling trial.  It is important to find a mediator that is adequately trained and experienced but also fits the needs of your situation.  For instance, if you and your spouse want to maintain control over your resolution and find creative solutions, you will want a mediator who is trained in facilitative, transformative, or insight mediation.

• PROS:  The majority of contested divorces or paternity actions resolve in mediation.   If you are represented by an attorney, your attorney also attends mediation.  Attorney-mediators or retired judges turned mediators will have the knowledge of the law and requisite training that is needed to successfully reach a resolution. Retired judges often use a more directive approach meaning they will be more likely to provide advice on what you should do or offer their opinions about whether your position will succeed in court.
• CONS: Unfortunately, the mediation profession is not regulated, meaning there is no association overseeing practicing mediators. Any person can claim to be a mediator even if they have no training.   Non-lawyer mediators are not allowed under Utah law to draft divorce documents.

Collaborative Divorce:

Collaborative Divorce is a new approach for couples to resolve their disputes respectfully—without going to court—while also working with trained professionals.  The collaborative process involves a complete paradigm shift from the traditional approach to divorce or separation.  Rather than focusing on what each party’s rights and obligations are under the law, settlement is negotiated based on the interests and needs of not only the couple but also their children.  The essence of Collaborative Divorce is to offer spouses or partners the support, protection, and guidance of their own attorneys, who are committed to staying out of court.  Additionally, Collaborative Divorce allows couples the benefit of utilizing professionals including financial specialists, divorce coaches, child specialists, and other professionals, who all work together as a team in helping the couple reach their best potential outcome.  Couples and their team of professionals are committed to maintaining open communication, information sharing, complete transparency, and exploring solutions that satisfy the needs and priorities of the family.

• PROS: The most significant benefit of the Collaborative Divorce process is that the couple maintains total control throughout the process and makes the final decisions with the assistance of specially trained attorneys and other professionals, who are working as a team toward a mutually created settlement. Costs are manageable and usually less expensive than litigation because the team model is set up for the financially efficient use of experts. The timetable on finalizing the divorce is solely up to the couple.
• CONS: If the couple is not able to reach an agreement, the attorneys are required to withdraw, and each spouse or partner is required to retain new counsel.

Traditional Litigation:

Traditional litigation is the model that is most represented in the movies.  When parties are unable to reach agreements on their own then a judge is required to make the final decision.  In litigation, the court controls the process, which is based on an adversarial system. There are significant delays in getting hearings and a trial scheduled. If the marital estate is complicated, then separate experts will have to be hired to support the litigant’s position.  If parents cannot agree on custody and parent-time, a custody evaluation may be needed.  Hiring these experts is extremely expensive and often delays final resolution.

• PROS: If one spouse or partner refuses to cooperate, the other spouse or partner can obtain a final resolution and is not held in limbo.
• CONS: Litigation is expensive.  Because of the adversarial nature of the process, the family is often traumatized.  It is expensive. While parties hope to have their day in court, each party is usually upset with the final resolution and feels they have not been heard.

Recognizing that a marriage or long-term relationship is ending can be frightening.  Change is hard.  The unknown is unnerving.  However, staying in an unhealthy relationship takes its toll on the couple and their children. It can even be quite damaging.   It is critical to take the time to figure out what you truly need and where you need to go.  Know there are divorce options out there that will support your family transitioning from one home to two homes without the trauma of a nasty court battle.

It would be lovely if the starting point of any divorce could be deciding what we want. But more often than not, my first consultation with clients involves questions of survival. Many clients fear what their financial future will look like. They have worked hard to get where they are financially. Divorce presents a sharp reality that what one has now will not be what one has in the near future. Clients come wanting assurance. They want to know whether they will be able to stay in their home, maintain sufficient financial support for their household, and walk away with sufficient funds to maintain the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. It can be a struggle to move the conversation beyond these basic concerns.

Abraham Maslow developed a motivational theory that consists of five levels of needs. The bottom level involves the physiological needs of food, shelter, warmth, and air. The most basic of all needs. These needs MUST be satisfied before any other issue can be explored. This explains why a stay-at-home parent who has not worked for years because they have dedicated their lives to serving the family at home may fixate upon support or on keeping the home. With Maslow’s explanation of human motivation, a person worried about their basic biological needs of food and shelter cannot think about the future.

So what type of financial support is available in Utah?

Child Support

If there are minor children, meaning children under the age of 18 or not graduated from high school, whichever is later, one parent is entitled to receive child support. Child support is relatively easy to calculate using the Utah.gov Child Support Calculator. It is based on the (i) number of overnights each parent has the children each year and (ii) each parent’s gross income. Gross income includes income from any source whether earned or unearned including salaries, wages, commissions, bonuses, rents, gifts from anyone, prizes, dividends, unemployment compensation, social security benefits, capital gains, alimony, etc. If one parent does not currently work, that parent has generally imputed income based upon his or her employment potential and probable earnings. A judge will look at such things as that parent’s work history, occupation qualifications, education, literacy, age, health, employment opportunities, criminal record, other employment barriers and background factors, and prevailing earnings and job availability of persons of similar backgrounds in the community. A parent who has no recent work history or if a parent’s occupation is unknown, that parent has imputed an income at the federal minimum wage for a 40-hour workweek. If one parent has the children for less than 110 overnights then child support is calculated using a sole custody worksheet. If each parent has more than 110 overnights then child support is calculated using a joint custody worksheet.

Alimony

Spousal support or alimony is the second form of support. It is the second most litigated issue in a divorce next to custody. The policy behind Utah’s alimony laws is to enable the receiving spouse to maintain as nearly as possible the standard of living enjoyed during the marriage and to prevent the spouse from becoming a public charge.
Unlike child support, there is no calculator to determine an appropriate amount of alimony. There are seven (7) different factors that a judge must consider when determining alimony with the three most significant ones being (i) the financial condition and needs of the recipient spouse, (ii) the recipient spouse’s earning capacity or ability to produce income; and (iii) the ability of the payor spouse to provide support. A recipient spouse’s need is based on the standard of living enjoyed during the marriage. Other factors include the length of the marriage, whether the recipient spouse has custody of a minor child requiring support, whether the recipient spouse worked in a business owned or operated by the other spouse; and whether the recipient spouse directly contributed to an increase in the payor spouse’s skill by paying for education received by the payor spouse or enabling the payor spouse to attend school during the marriage. A judge may consider the fault of the parties under certain circumstances (e.g. one party engaging in an extramarital affair, abuse, or a party substantially undermining the financial stability of the other party or the children). The length of alimony cannot exceed the length of the marriage and terminates upon remarriage, cohabitation as defined by Utah law, and death of either party.

Figuring out how much alimony you may be entitled to or may be expected to pay is a difficult task and one that you will likely want to seek legal advice on.

Next to the children, financial support is one of the biggest obstacles in divorce or separation. No one can reasonably be expected to focus on other issues if they are worried about how they are going to pay their bills, feed their children, or keep a roof over their head. It is critical for couples to understand and recognize that the financial needs of the other party to help move toward settlement. Not addressing these issues fairly create long-term negative effects on the family.

Ten Types of Documents to Gather When Considering Divorce

Socrates said, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”  This may be true in life but is extremely damaging in divorce.  It is critically important that you take affirmative steps to understand and familiarize yourself with your finances when considering divorce.  You will be in a much better position if you understand what you have so that you can figure out where you want to be at the end of the divorce process.  You want to be confident that you have the information to make informed decisions and to take control of your own path.  This can be an intimidating step if you have not previously been involved in the financial aspects of your marriage.  But your future financial health depends upon you taking the time to gather information.

Below is a useful checklist of documents to gather when considering divorce:

• Tax Returns – personal and business – for the most recent two (2) years, including complete federal and state income tax returns, Form W-2, Form 1099, and Schedule K-1 forms, and supporting tax schedules and attachments filed by you, your spouse, and by any entity in which you or your spouse have a majority or controlling interest.
• Pay Stubs – for the past twelve (12) months, provide copies of all of your and your spouse’s paystubs and/or other evidence of all earned and unearned income. At a minimum, you will need the most current paystub and the last paystub issued in the previous calendar year from each employer, assuming the paystubs include year-to-day income.
• All loan applications and financial statements prepared or used by you or your spouse within the last twelve (12) months.
• Documents verifying the value of all real estate in which you or your spouse have an interest, including the most recent appraisal, tax valuation notices, deeds, purchase documents, settlement statements, and refinance documents.
• Current titles and appraisals/valuation documents for all vehicles, boats, campers, trailers, recreations vehicles, jewelry, major household items, and other personal property. To determine the value of your vehicles, you will want to complete a Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com) or NADA (nada.com) report for each vehicle, boat, camper, trailer, and recreational vehicle in your possession.
• For all businesses in which you or your spouse have an interest, you will want copies of all the following as may apply: current profit/loss statements, balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, payroll reports, aged account receivable documents, depreciation schedules, Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, Operating Agreements, nature of business, percentage owned, name(s) of all owners, current value, complete business tax returns for the most recent two (2) years, and business checking and savings account statements for the last three (3) months.
• All statements for the last three (3) months for all financial asset accounts, including checking, savings, profit-sharing, annuity, money market funds, certificates of deposit, brokerage, investment, retirement, and trusts (for you and your spouse).
• Current statements for all life insurance policies, with and without cash value (for you and your spouse).
• Credit card statements and other debt statements for the last three (3) months (for you and your spouse).
• Copies of your most recent billing statements for the last three (3) months verifying each of your monthly expenses, such as utility bills, mortgage statements, daycare receipts, medical billings, and insurance explanation of benefits, etc.

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