Separation: organise financial documents for a lawyer

01 / Practical step

Describe the decision and the documents

Explain whether you need initial advice, have received a proposal or are already involved in a formal process. Keep the complete proposal, agreement or court documents together and identify any stated date. Tell the adviser about relevant relationship dates without calculating legal time limits yourself. Ask what information is needed for the first appointment and what can follow later, so preparation does not delay seeking advice about an approaching decision.

02 / Practical step

Inventory records rather than guessing a final balance

List the categories you know about: property, accounts, loans, businesses, superannuation and other relevant financial interests. Record the document date, whose name appears and whether the figure is current, estimated or unknown. Ask the adviser which categories require further investigation. A spreadsheet is useful for organisation, but it should not silently combine old balances with current valuations as if they were comparable.

03 / Practical step

Collect information lawfully and securely

Use records you lawfully hold and ask the lawyer how missing information should be requested. Do not access another person’s accounts, guess passwords or use a shared device to obtain material without authority. Explain any safety or privacy concern about contact. Ask the office for its secure document-delivery method and keep a list of what has been supplied. The directory’s planner does not require account details or a personal financial history.

04 / Practical step

Separate legal and valuation work

Ask whether the proposed legal service includes reviewing a settlement proposal, advising on information requirements, negotiating or preparing documents. Valuation, accounting and other professional work may need a separate scope. Identify who would engage those professionals and how their cost is handled. An early estimate of legal fees may depend on what records emerge and how much is disputed; ask how updates will be communicated.

05 / Practical step

Illustrative example: an old property estimate

A separated person has a recent loan statement but only an old estimate of a property’s value. They label the dates and uncertainty rather than subtracting one from the other and presenting the result as an agreed value. They ask the lawyer what evidence is needed and how to address the missing information. The invented example concerns document quality, not an entitlement or settlement percentage.

• Any proposal or existing formal documents
• Dated financial record inventory
• Unknown values and missing documents clearly marked
• Questions about secure collection
• Scope and professional-cost questions

06 / Practical step

Make later updates easy to identify

When a new statement or revised proposal arrives, add its date to the inventory and tell the lawyer what it replaces. Keep earlier versions available rather than silently overwriting them. Ask how ongoing information requests and updates should be handled in your circumstances. A well-organised pack makes changes visible, but the adviser still needs to explain the applicable requirements and assess what should be provided to whom.