Divorce mediation can feel more manageable than going to court, but sitting down with your spouse to make decisions about your future can still feel like a lot to handle. You may wonder whether you have enough information to participate meaningfully or whether you need to arrive with every record you have ever received.
Here are the records and information you can prioritize.
Financial records
Current income and account records give you and your spouse reliable information for discussing the financial terms of your divorce.
- Recent pay stubs and tax returns
- Bank and investment account statements
- Retirement and pension statements
- Business records, if applicable
For a high-asset divorce, you may also need records that show the value or ownership of less obvious assets, such as stock options, business interests or other investments.
Property and debt information
Information about major assets and debts helps you identify what needs to be addressed during property negotiations.
Mortgage statements, property records, loan information and credit account statements can help you account for both what you own and what you owe. Washington courts consider community and separate property along with the parties’ liabilities when dividing assets in a divorce.
Parenting and child-related records
Schedules and expense records can help you discuss parenting arrangements based on how your children actually live and what they need.
- Existing parenting plans or schedules
- School and childcare schedules
- Records of recurring child-related expenses
For example, a school or childcare schedule can help you identify practical issues with proposed parenting time, especially when work schedules or transportation create limitations.
Existing legal documents
Prior agreements and court orders can show which obligations or arrangements already apply to your family.
This may include a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, an existing parenting plan, a protection order or another family court order. If a document contains terms that affect the issues you plan to mediate, flag those provisions beforehand so you can discuss them with your attorney if necessary.
Your priorities and questions
A written list of your priorities can help you stay focused on the issues you actually need to resolve.
You can identify the terms that matter most to you, note areas where you may have room to compromise and write down questions about anything you do not understand. It can also help to separate must-haves from preferences, since mediation often involves making choices between different ways of resolving an issue.
Prepare for the decisions ahead
You do not need a perfectly organized file before mediation. Reviewing your records and priorities with an attorney beforehand can help you identify missing information and understand the legal consequences of the choices you may face during the session.
