The short answer
What Illinois families should know.
Preparation should preserve information, not conceal assets or create leverage. Save complete records from lawful sources before passwords, addresses, account access, or household routines change.
Income and tax records
Collect recent personal and business tax returns with schedules, W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, pay statements, bonus records, employment agreements, benefit statements, and equity-compensation documents. Keep complete copies rather than screenshots of isolated numbers.
Accounts, debts, and retirement
Preserve bank, brokerage, cryptocurrency, credit-card, loan, pension, retirement, and education-account statements. Statements near the date of marriage, inheritances, large transfers, and separation may be especially important for tracing or valuation.
Property, business, insurance, and estate records
Save deeds, mortgage statements, appraisals, closing documents, vehicle titles, business governing documents, financial statements, insurance policies, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations, and marital agreements. These documents can reveal ownership, restrictions, and obligations that an account balance does not.
Parenting and household records
Keep school and medical information, calendars, childcare costs, activity expenses, work schedules, travel records, and current orders. The goal is a reliable account of the child's routine—not surveillance or a campaign to collect embarrassing material.
Prepare
Useful next steps
- Tax and income records
- Bank and investment statements
- Retirement and pension records
- Credit-card, loan, and other debt statements
- Deeds, mortgages, appraisals, and closing documents
- Business ownership, tax, and financial records
- Insurance policies and benefit information
- Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and beneficiary records
- Prenuptial, postnuptial, partnership, or other financial agreements
- School, medical, childcare, activity, calendar, and current-order records
Avoid
Common missteps
- Taking or destroying original records needed by the household or business
- Accessing accounts or devices without legal authority
- Draining accounts, hiding property, or changing records
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers to the first questions.
How many years of records should I collect?
The right period depends on the issues. Three years is a common starting point for current finances, but tracing, business valuation, dissipation, or long-term compensation may require more.
Should I download joint-account statements?
Yes, if you are an authorized account holder. Preserve complete statements and transaction details, not only current balances.
Can I record conversations with my spouse?
Recording law is separate from divorce law and can carry serious consequences. Obtain advice before recording; do not assume that being part of a conversation automatically makes recording lawful.
Continue reading
Related Illinois family-law guides.
Primary sources
Read the governing Illinois materials.
- Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act ↗
- Illinois Courts approved divorce, support, and maintenance forms ↗
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Laws, court rules, local procedures, and individual facts can change the analysis. Reading it or contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.