A divorce in New Braunfels runs on paperwork. Whether your case ends with a simple agreed decree in Comal County or a contested trial, the court will need a clear picture of your family, your income and everything the marriage owns and owes. This checklist is designed to be printed and worked through over a few weeks. Gather what you can, note what you cannot, and bring it all to your first meeting with a divorce attorney.
You do not have to complete every box. Some items will not apply to you, and some you will not be able to reach until the case is filed. The point is to know what exists.
How to Organize What You Collect
- Choose one place to keep everything, such as an accordion file or a private cloud folder with a new password
- Label folders to match the headings below
- Make copies rather than removing originals that your spouse also uses
- Keep a running list of documents you know exist but cannot get
- Store sensitive records somewhere your spouse cannot access if there are safety or trust concerns
Basic Family Information
- Full legal names and dates of birth for you, your spouse and each child
- Date and place of marriage (county and state)
- Date you separated, if you have
- Your current address and how long you have lived in Texas and in your county
- Your spouse’s current address and employer
- Copy of your marriage license, or details of an informal (common-law) marriage
- Copies of any prior divorce decrees for either spouse
- Any existing court orders involving your children, support or protective orders
Local tip: If you live in New Braunfels, confirm whether your address falls in Comal County or Guadalupe County. Your appraisal district record is a reliable source. Our page on where to file explains why this matters.
Income and Employment
- Federal tax returns for the last three years, with all schedules
- Recent pay stubs for both spouses (at least the last three months)
- W-2s, 1099s and K-1s for the last three years
- Records of bonuses, commissions, overtime or stock awards
- Unemployment, disability, Social Security or VA benefit statements
- Rental income records
- Military Leave and Earnings Statements, if either spouse serves
- Employer benefits summary (health insurance, life insurance, retirement match)
Income records drive both child support and spousal maintenance. Texas child support begins with each parent’s net resources, so complete income information matters.
Bank and Cash Accounts
- Checking account statements for the last 12 months
- Savings and money market statements for the last 12 months
- Certificates of deposit
- Payment app histories (Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, Zelle) if used regularly
- Children’s savings or custodial accounts
- A note of any cash kept at home or in a safe deposit box
Retirement and Investments
- 401(k), 403(b) and 457 statements, including the statement closest to your wedding date if you can find it
- IRA and Roth IRA statements
- Pension plan summaries and benefit estimates
- Texas Teacher Retirement System, Texas Municipal Retirement System or other public plan statements
- Military retirement points statements or service records
- Brokerage account statements
- Stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchase plan records
- Cryptocurrency exchange and wallet records
Only the community portion of a retirement account is divided, and dividing it usually requires a separate order. Our retirement and QDRO page explains the process.
Real Estate
- Deed for your home and any other real property
- Most recent mortgage statement and any home equity loan statements
- Closing statement from the purchase
- Recent appraisal district valuation
- Homeowners insurance declarations page
- Records of major improvements and who paid for them
- Leases and income records for rental property, including river-area short-term rentals
- Timeshare, lake lot or hunting land documents
Vehicles and Personal Property
- Titles and loan statements for cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, RVs and trailers
- A list of high-value items: firearms, jewelry, art, collections, tools and equipment
- Photos or video of the contents of the home
- Records for pets and livestock, if valuable
Debts
- Credit card statements for the last 12 months for every card in either name
- Personal loans and lines of credit
- Student loan statements
- Medical bills
- Tax debts or IRS notices
- Loans from family members, with any written notes
- A recent credit report for yourself
Texas courts divide debts as part of the overall property division, but a divorce decree does not bind your creditors. See debt in divorce for why that matters.
Business Interests
- Formation documents (LLC certificate, partnership or shareholder agreements)
- Business tax returns for the last three years
- Profit and loss statements and balance sheets
- Business bank statements
- Records of business loans and personal guarantees
- Any prior business valuations
Separate Property Proof
If you believe something belongs only to you, the burden is on you to prove it with clear and convincing evidence.
- Records showing property you owned before the marriage
- Gift letters, cards or bank transfers showing a gift to you alone
- Wills, trust documents or estate distribution records for inheritances
- Personal-injury settlement documents
- Statements tracing how separate funds moved between accounts
Insurance
- Health, dental and vision insurance cards and plan details
- Life insurance policies, including beneficiaries and cash value
- Auto and homeowners or renters policies
- Disability insurance policies
Children
- Birth certificates
- School names, grades and contact information for teachers and counselors
- School calendars for the current year
- Childcare, after-school and activity costs
- Health insurance cost to cover the children
- Unreimbursed medical, dental, therapy and prescription expenses
- Records of special needs, IEPs or 504 plans
- A calendar showing who has handled pickups, appointments and activities
- Your ideas for a workable parenting schedule
For how the law handles parenting time, see the standard possession order.
Monthly Budget
- Current monthly household expenses
- Projected monthly expenses after separation
- Each spouse’s share of current household bills
- Recurring subscriptions and memberships
Agreements and Legal Papers
- Premarital or postnuptial agreements
- Wills, powers of attorney and medical directives
- Trust documents
- Any written agreements you and your spouse have already made about separation
Digital Accounts and Security
- A list of shared accounts (streaming, utilities, cloud storage, phone plan)
- New passwords for your personal email and phone
- Review of location sharing on phones and vehicles
- Change of mailing address for sensitive mail, such as a post office box, if needed
Your Questions and Goals
- Your top three priorities for the outcome
- Issues where you expect disagreement
- Questions to ask at your consultation
Bring This Checklist to a New Braunfels Divorce Attorney
A finished checklist turns a first meeting into a focused working session instead of a scramble. Call New Braunfels Family Law at (830) 302-4071 for a free consultation by phone, video or in person. We help families across Comal County, Guadalupe County and the surrounding area, and hablamos español.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I cannot get copies of my spouse's financial records?
Write down what you know exists, such as the bank name or the employer’s retirement plan. Once a case is filed, your lawyer can use formal discovery to require your spouse to produce documents, and Texas courts can also require sworn financial disclosures.
How far back should my records go?
Three years of tax returns and twelve months of bank and credit card statements is a common starting point. If you are claiming separate property, you may need records going back to the date of the marriage or even earlier.
Is it legal to copy documents my spouse keeps in the house?
Copying shared household records you normally have access to is usually fine. Breaking into a spouse’s password-protected email, phone or private accounts can raise serious legal problems, so ask a lawyer before you access anything that is not already yours to use.
Do I need everything on this list before I call a lawyer?
No. Bring what you have to your first meeting. The list is a target, not a requirement, and a lawyer can tell you which items matter most in your case.
Where can I get a copy of a prior divorce decree?
Final decrees are kept by the district clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. See our page on divorce records for more detail.
Last reviewed November 13, 2026. General information only, not legal advice.