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Divorce Deposition: Agenda And Tips

11 February 2020

Dolores Rice

If you are going through a divorce, you should prepare for deposition before the process is over. A deposition involves answering questions that the opposing side, your spouse and their lawyer, want to know to help them with the divorce process. Below are some of the topics covered during deposition and how to prepare for it.

Topics

Deposition can cover any topic related to the divorce, but the following are some of the most common.

Marital Relationship

Marriage is a breakdown in a relationship between two people, so it makes sense that the deposition will touch on your marital relationship. Your partner's lawyer may ask you when your relationship broke down, your extramarital affairs (especially if your partner already suspects such liaisons), your sex life, and your current living arrangements.

Parenting

Children may not be a party to a typical divorce, but they still get affected to a great deal.  The government has laws in place to minimize the effect of divorce on kids. Your partner will also be interested in issues to deal with child custody and support.

All these things are affected by your respective parenting techniques and your relationship with your children during the divorce. For example, your partner's lawyer might ask you how much time you have spent with your kids in the past three months, who takes care of the children if they are sick, and who takes the kids to school.

Income and Expenditures

The issue of income and expenditure will help in the determination of alimony and child support. Your partner will want to maintain a standard of living comparable to the one they had been used to during the marriage. Thus, your job, salary, and side businesses will all be under scrutiny. The vacations you have taken in recent years, your household budget, and the sports car you recently acquired will all be topics for discussion during deposition.

Assets and Debts

Asset and debt division is one of the most divisive topics during a typical divorce. Everyone wants to minimize their debt burdens and maximize their share of asset distribution. Therefore, questions on debts and everything you own is to be expected.

Preparation

These two tips should help you prepare for the deposition.

Familiarize with the Topics

The best way to prepare for the deposition is to familiarize yourself with the potential topics. You should know whose name is on which asset, have an approximation of your household budget, and determine how much you have been taking care of your kids in the recent past. The familiarization will help you give accurate answers during deposition.

Consult Your Lawyer

You also need to consult your family law attorney so that they can coach you on how to behave during deposition. You should know how to dress, which demeanor to have, and which questions to answer.

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