Moriarty & Dee, Attorneys at Law, in Buffalo, New York.

The Paper Chase:

DOCUMENTS FOR DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS IT WILL BE USEFUL FOR YOU TO HAVE

1. Financial Affidavit: A completed affidavit or declaration covering assets, income, liabilities and expenses on the form your attorney gives you.

2. Tax Records: Income tax records, including estimated tax returns, W-2, 1099, and K-1 forms, payroll stubs, and all other evidence of income since the filing of your last return.

3. Income Tax Returns: Personal, corporate, partnerships, joint ventures, or other income tax returns, state and federal, including W-2, 1099, and K-1 forms, in your possession or control from the inception of the marriage.

4. Banking Information: Monthly bank statements, passbooks, checkstubs, registers, deposit slips, canceled checks, certificates of deposit, money management and retirement accounts in your possession or control from banks, savings and loan institutions, brokerages, and/or federal credit unions, which have been maintained at any time for or by you, individually or in joint name or as a trustee or guardian, and in which you sign or have any legal or equitable interest.

5. Financial Statements: Submitted to banks, lending institutions, or any persons or entities prepared by or on your behalf at any time during the last five years.

6. Loan Applications: Applications and statements of loan accounts for all loans applied for, whether approved or not, for the last five years.

7. Broker's Statements: All statements of account from securities and commodities dealers and mutual funds you maintained and received during the marriage and held individually, jointly, or as a trustee or guardian.

8. Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds: Certificates held individually, jointly or as a trustee or guardian, including any stock brokerage accounts and statements owned during the marriage.

9. Stock Options: All records pertaining to stock options held in any corporation or other entity, exercised or not.

10. Pension, Profit Sharing, Deferred Compensation Agreement, and Retirement Plans: Or any other kind of plan owned by you or by any corporation in which you are or have been a participant during the marriage.

11. Wills and Trust Agreements: Executed by you or in which you have a present or contingent interest or in which you are named a beneficiary, trustee, executor, or guardian, and from which benefits have been received, are being received, or will be received and which are or were in existence during the past five years, including inter vivos trusts (those made while the parties are living). All records of declaration of trust and minute books for all trusts to which you are a party, including the certificates, if any, indicating such interest and copies of all statements, receipts, disbursements, investments, and other transactions.

12. Life Insurance--or certificates of life insurance currently in existence, insuring your life or the life of any other person, in which you are named as either primary or contingent beneficiary, including any disability insurance currently in existence.

13. General Insurance--insurance policies, including, but not limited to, annuities, health, accident, casualty motor vehicles of any kind, property liability, including contents insurance in which you are or have been named insured for the last three years.

14. Outstanding Debts--documents reflecting all debts owed to you or by you, secured or unsecured, including personal loans and lawsuits now pending or previously filed in any court, showing the name of the debtor and or creditors, the date each debt was incurred, the total amount and the unpaid balance.

15. Accounts Payable and Receivable: Ledgers in your possession and control that are personal or business related, together with all accounts and journals.

16. Cash Receipt Books: Evidence of budgets, cash projections, and other financial documents in your possession. This applies to all items that existed at any time throughout your marriage.

17.Real Property: All deeds, closing statements, tax bills, appraisals, mortgages, leases and other evidence (including monthly payments and present principal and interest balances) of any type of interest or ownership, whether as owner, co-owner, fiduciary, trust beneficiary, partner, limited partner, shareholder, joint venture, mortgagee, or otherwise, during the term of the marriage; together with evidence of all contributions in cash or otherwise, made by you or on your behalf, toward the acquisition of such real estate.

18. Sale and Option Agreements: On any real estate owned by either you either individually, through another person or entity, jointly or as trustee or guardian.

19. Personal Property: Documents, invoices, contracts and appraisals on all personal property, including furniture, fixtures, furnishings, equipment, antiques, and any type of collections, owned by you individually, jointly, as trustee or guardian, or through any other person or entity during the term of the marriage, together with the amount of the respective liens.

20. Motor Vehicles: Purchase orders, financing agreements, appraisals, lease agreements, registrations, and payment books to all motor vehicles owned by you, including airplanes, boats, or any other type of vehicle or craft.

21. Corporate Interests: All records indicating any kind of personal interest in any corporation (foreign or domestic) or any other entities not evidenced by certificates or other instrument.

22. Employment Records: During the term of the marriage, showing evidence of wages, salaries, bonuses, commissions, expense accounts, and other benefits or deductions of any kind that were, are, or may be paid, available, credited, or withheld for any purpose.

23. Fringe Benefits: All records serving as evidence of any benefits available to you from any business entity in which you have legal or equitable ownership interest, including, without limitation, auto, travel, entertainment, education and personal and living expenses.

24. Employment contracts: Under which you are performing services or for which someone is indebted to you for services and/or merchandise and materials already furnished.

25. Business Records: If you are self-employed, a partner, or own more than 10 percent of the outstanding capital stock of any corporation, produce the documents requested above with respect to that business.

26. Charge Accounts: For your personal or business use, including all statements and receipts, together with a list of those businesses for which you are or have been authorized to charge items to another person's or entity's account.

27. Membership Cards: Documents identifying rights in any country club, key club, private clubs, associations or fraternal organizations, together with all monthly statements.

28. Judgments: And pleading to which you have been a party, either as plaintiff or defendant,
during the marriage.

29. Gifts: All records pertaining to gifts of any kind made to you or by you to any person or entity.

30. Charitable Contributions: Receipts, canceled checks, or other tangible evidence of charitable donations you have made.

31. Medical Bills: Prescriptions, evaluation reports, or diagnosis for psychiatric treatment or medical disability received during the last five years.

32. Inventory of Safe Deposit Boxes: Of husband, wife or business.

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