Wife wants a divorce.
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Wife wants a divorce.
My wife wants to divorce me and is seeing an attorney today for free legal advice
to learn how much I should pay her. She wants to do this through a mediator. My
wife is asking for my taxes and other financial information. Do I give it to her?
Should I be looking for a divorce lawyer myself? I need guidance on what I
should and should not do.
Asked on October 21, 2019 under Family Law, Michigan
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 4 years ago | Contributor
Mediation is voluntary for both parties, so if she wants to see this and you do not provide it, she could refuse to mediate. If she refuses to mediate, then if she wants a divorce, she will file an actual divorce case. In a divorce case, in family court, she will absolutely have the right to see this information and documentation, since it is highly relevant to deciding about support and splitting assets. So if you and she cannot work this out voluntarily (e.g. through mediation, not a trial), she will be able to get it. That being the case, you should provide it--though that said, if she is seeing a lawyer and getting legal advice, you should, too, or else you will be at a disadvantage. So see an attorney and follow his/her advice.
For future reference: in any sort of litigation (legal case), if a document or information is relevant, the other side can get it, unless it is "privileged" (e.g. something from or produced by an attorney, which would be protected by attorney-client privilege).
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