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What to Know About Divorce Discovery

Divorce discovery is the process in which each party’s attorneys exchange information about their clients’ finances. Each side must participate in the process in good faith and provide complete, honest information. A failure to do so could result in some penalties, and in the noncompliant party getting a worse outcome in the divorce.

Here’s an overview of what you can expect from the process.

  • Interrogatories: These are written questions each party is required to answer under oath, and under penalty of perjury. The questions might be about a person’s background, their financial situation, their owned assets and accounts and anything else that may be important for a divorce.
  • Subpoenas: Subpoenas are court documents used to seek information from people or entities that are not a part of the lawsuit. For example, you could subpoena a bank for financial records.
  • Depositions: In some cases, lawyers may schedule depositions, in which the witnesses called answer questions in front of a lawyer and court reporter. Depositions may be filmed or recorded. Like with interrogatories, the responses to these questions are provided under oath and under penalty of perjury. Depositions typically take place at an attorney’s office.
  • Requests for admission: These short questions are used to quickly discern simple facts. The respondent either confirms or denies the statements or questions. These tools are used to solidify facts and to prevent people from changing their stories at a trial or in a court setting.

The amount of time it takes for the divorce discovery process to finish depends on the complexity of the marital estate. Couples that have more assets, debts and business interests will be able to expect a longer discovery process for their divorce case.

For more information about the discovery process, contact an experienced Minnesota divorce lawyer at Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.

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  • "Tori had a thorough understanding of my situation and made excellent recommendations to resolve my concerns. She was persistent on communication and handled everything in a very timely manner. I would definitely hire her again in the future if needed." - M.K.

  • "With Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A., it is like having a family physician. They are all knowledgeable, thorough, comforting, and the only call I need to make for all my legal needs for many years to come. No matter what the matter, I totally trust their advice and commitment to me and my family." - J.N.

  • "Mary from APH Law helped me thru a difficult divorce. She and the entire staff was there for me every step of the way helping me on what to do next. They listened to what I wanted and helped me achieve what matter the most to me in the divorce settlement." - Dana C.

  • "I chose APH after my initial consultation with Mary. I felt my best interest would be represented. The entire process went excellent, the attorneys and staff communicated effectively and efficiently with me throughout the process as they needed to. Being new to the legal process and verbiage, they walked me and talked me through the next steps and the jargon, I felt completely comfortable and represented. I hope I never have to use legal services again but if I do I will call Mary at APH Law and know that I will be taken care of." - Jeff M.

  • "Divorce is a time of emotion and stress. Mary Pfeifer , My lawyer was professional and compassionate. She was very informative through the process. Her insight helped me in my decisions. She worked hard to obtain a settlement which was fair to both parties. Though, I hope I won't need her help again. It is reassuring to know a good person that is willing to help." - Rod S.

  • "I first came to Ms. Jacquelyn Lutz of Appelhof, Pfeifer and Hart in October of 2016. It was definitely the worst time in my life and she compassionately spoke with me about my options. Ms. Lutz thoroughly explained the laws, statutes, process and what to expect going forward. What was supposed to be one case, turned into three intricate cases that took a huge toll on me and my family. Ms. Lutz represented me in court on all three cases with a vast knowledge of the laws and how to proceed accordingly. During all three cases she kept me informed, calm, gave me resources to utilize, and (most important) gave me a realistic view of what may come next. Ms. Lutz knew each case required a great deal of knowledge and creative thinking on how to legally proceed forward with each case. My family and friends are forever grateful for the amazing representation by Ms. Lutz. I highly recommend Ms. Lutz for anyone needing or considering superb representation for any kind of family law. " - M.H.

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