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Client Document PackFamily LawMedium
Divorce Settlement Document Pack
Prepare a family law document pack by organising identity, authority, core matter records, official records, correspondence, financial records, deadline notes, and fee questions.
Time to prepare1-4 hours
Before you contact a lawyer
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Get support from a lawyer who works with family law matters.
Before the consultation
0/5 completedDuring the consultation
0/3 completedAfterwards
0/3 completedWhen It Applies
You need a clean family law document pack before a first consultation.
Spouses, parents, mediators, and advisers preparing divorce settlement discussions need marriage, property, income, debt, child, maintenance, pension, and draft-agreement records organised.
Not For
- Drafting legal documents, choosing a legal route, or making binding decisions without tailored advice.
Documents
- Marriage certificate
- Antenuptial contract
- Settlement drafts
- Asset list
- Debt list
- Bank statements
- Pension records
- Child expense records
- Identity records
- Authority records
- Official records
- Financial records
- Correspondence
- Question list
Timeline
- Before consultation: collect identity, authority, core matter, official, and money records.
- During review: confirm controlling records, missing documents, and next route.
- Afterwards: save final versions and calendar next dates.
- Ongoing: update the document index as records change.
Tips
- Send documents in date order.
- Keep draft and final versions separate.
- Name who has authority to instruct the lawyer.
- Ask what can be handled remotely and what needs original documents.
Warning Signs
- Authority to sign or instruct is unclear.
- An official deadline or filing date is close.
- Records conflict with each other.
- A document is being pushed for urgent signature.
Official sources
- Divorce Act 70 of 1979Divorce-order, maintenance, and settlement context.
- Mediation in Certain Divorce Matters Act 24 of 1987Minor and dependent child divorce-process context.
- Office of the Family AdvocateFamily Advocate and child-interest process context.
- Legal Practice Council list of legal practitionersLegal-practitioner discovery and verification context.
This checklist is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
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