Going through a divorce can be a very stressful time for you and the whole family. Don’t make the stress worse by being confused on which documents you need when filing for a divorce. Get all your documents organized before you meet with the attorney.

The best thing to do is buy a large binder. Separate the binder into sections as listed below using cover sheets or inserts with labels. Behind each section keep copies of the following list of paperwork:

Section 1: Proof of Income

1. Your paycheck stubs. Include all sources of income for the past year. If you don’t have stubs for the past year, a the very minimum provide pay stubs for the prior three months.

2. Your spouse’s paycheck stubs. All sources of income for the past year or at least the stubs for the past three months.

3. If you or your spouse are self- employed, you will need all documents that show payments received or charges billed. You must also include all documentation that outlines all business expenses.

4. Copies of your tax returns from the past 3 years. This includes business tax returns.

5. If you or your spouse work for cash, you need to supply receipts for cash payments or a ledger that shows expenses paid.

6. You must supply any financial statements that have been prepared by you or your spouse that proves your net worth. You will have these types of statements if you have ever applied for a loan.

7. Any miscellaneous documents that will help establish both you and your spouse’s net worth.

Section 2: Real Estate

1. Have copies of the documents that contain legal descriptions of all real estate you and your spouse own. Remember this real estate can be owned together, or it can be owned separately.

2. You must provide all current mortgage statements on all real estate.

3. You must have all documents pertaining to the initial purchase and/or the refinance of all real estate.

4. A copy of the assessor’s statement for all real estate.

Section 3: Personal Finance

1. You will need to provide savings passbooks and all other types of savings certificates you may have. You need to include joint and individual accounts.

2. You must provide copies of checking account bank statements from the past two years. This includes all individual and joint accounts.

3. Include copies of all life insurance policies. This includes policies on yourself, your spouse, and your children. Don’t forget to include policies from your employer.

Section 4: All Debts

1. You must provide an itemized list of all debts that you or your spouse has incurred. Don’t forget to list unsecured debt such as medical bills and credit cards.

Section 5: Pension Funds

1. Provide copies of current statements for you and your spouse’s pension funds. This will include IRAs, 401K, retirement funds, etc.

Section 6: Vehicles

1. You will need to provide the title and registration for all vehicles owned by you or your spouse. This will include cars, boats, farm equipment and ATVs.

2. You need to include all statements for these vehicles that show the outstanding secured debt.

Acquiring the papers can be time-consuming but, it should be less stressful for you now that you know what you need to have.

As a professional organizer, I encourage people to keep an inventory of their belongings.  Whether you have to place a claim with your insurance company or you’re thinking of moving or renovating, you need to know what you have.

Most people are surprised by the amount of stuff they own, once they start paying attention.  Like the practice of writing down everything you eat, writing down everything you own can cause you to question your behavior.  How did you end up with multiples of gadgets you almost never use?  What were you thinking when you bought that equipment from a late-night infomercial?  Analyzing shopping mistakes can be painful, but it’s important to recognize what you need and what you can let go.

Once you start to evaluate what you have, think about how you want to live.  Peter Walsh, author and professional organizer, says

Visualize the life you want, and then ask, ‘Does this item enhance that vision or get in the way of it?’

What is the vision you want for your life?  You might be starting a new career or adding to your family.  Maybe you’re getting ready to retire and you want to spend more time pursuing hobbies.  You could be preparing to take on a new challenge that you’ve always dreamed of.

You’ll need to include some – but probably not all – of your possessions to create your vision.  Give yourself permission to let go of things that don’t add value to your life.  Be ruthless when considering if you will ever use an item again.  If you don’t love it or use it, let go of it and allow someone else to benefit from it.

Before you bring anything new into your home, no matter how attractive or useful it is, ask yourself if it meets the criteria you set for your vision.  Don’t let price influence your decision; it doesn’t matter what a “bargain” something is if it gets in the way of achieving your goal.

If you are having trouble deciding whether to keep something, consider Peter Walsh’s advice.  You don’t have to throw everything out and start all over.  Go slowly and think carefully about what you keep.  Let it be a reflection of what you value.

Do the things you own fit in with your vision?  Leave a comment, below, and tell us how.

Original Post form Lock Boxer.

Recently I had a challenging assignment. I had a client who was interested in finally tackling her paper clutter. Paper clutter is something everyone has and no one person is spared from this. We all get mail, we all allow this to pile up. This entry isn’t going to address how to avoid this from happening, but I will publish my personal tips on that subject at a later date. This post is how I went about tackling the paper monster once it was created. This situation was unique because I was working with an entrepreneur. These are the hardest cases due to the fact that as a business owner by law you must keep the last 5 years of receipts, tax information, bills, and write-offs claimed that year in the event of an audit.

**(QUICK NOTE: Non-business owners do not need to hold on to any tax information beyond 3 years)

My client had saved everything her only issue was it was everywhere. We contained it to 4 large container bins which held loose pages of bills and unopened mail. She was rightfully overwhelmed which is where I came in and “whip it up”.

First thing you want to do is gather all your papers. This had been done between the client and I during a previous visit. I then grabbed two garbage bags, one for trash(envelopes, outdated paperwork, and junk mail). The second for shredding personal documents that would be thrown out. Find an open space, I chose the floor so I had plenty of room to spread out. DON’T fear this daunting task all I want you to do is make 5 piles to signify 2007-2011. Grab a highlighter, pick up the first piece of paper and highlight the date and place in its corresponding pile. If its outdated trash it. Don’t ogle through past purchases or decide to verify a purchase that was completed years ago just place in the pile and move forward. Remember don’t make excuses why you believe you need to keep something outdated; you don’t throw it out.
**(QUICK NOTE: Bank Statements are recorded and saved by your bank; you can request summaries of them from your bank for any month/year you choose FREE OF CHARGE. So why are you keeping something that is perfectly electronically filed for you? )

After all the clutter was organized in their piles take 2011 and begin to categorize the bills, summary statements, and receipts, etc. I used 5 file a faxes from Staples. They came to $50 w/ tax. Each file a fax purchased had 13 categories. We neatly created tabs for each of the categories chosen and began to quickly file away. Before we knew it we had done all 5 years.

Every project you see in your home just takes a little thought and imagination on how to complete it quickly and efficiently. Till next time. Clean up that mess.

by: Chanthini Butler, Organizing and Administrative Consultant

Set an egg timer for 5 minutes and pick one drawer in your desk. Sort through the drawer for 5 minutes, recycling and tossing things you no longer need and organizing the rest.

Further Reading
Check out past Tip Day Wednesdays for more organizing, productivity, and time management tips.
Image via flickr by  Then and Again..

This minute organizing trick will help get your life back on track in as little as 5 minutes. Set an egg timer for 5 minutes and pick one drawer in your desk. Sort through the drawer for 5 minutes, recycling and tossing things you no longer need and organizing the rest.

Further Reading
Check out past Tip Day Wednesdays for more organizing tips, productivity, and time management tips.
Image via flickr by  Then and Again..

There are ten smart organizing tips to manage your time in a productive satisfying way. Time management is defined as the ability to arrange, organize and schedule your time so you are more effective and productive in everything you do. Here are ten simple tips that will organize your day and let you do more with less.

1. Match task with time. Use this organizing tip to schedule time consuming tasks on less busy days, giving you the ability to organize your week better. This also prevents you from scheduling more than you can do to streamline your week.

2. Plan ahead and write things down. This often means using a planner and taking a bird’s eye view of what you want to accomplish. This lets you preplan grocery shopping consolidate errands, schedule in the time you need for your business or work and plan quality time with friends or family.

3. Think about creating a schedule and blocking time into half hour or hour time periods. This lets you limit distractions, creates focus and makes clear boundaries between work and play.

4. Organize as you go: spending a few moments organizing your desk, making a short list, or filling in a planner is a best time saver you can do. Small organizing moments can save hours in your week.

5. Limit multi tasking. Research has shown multi tasking may actually work as a distraction decreasing your ability to finish tasks efficiently. Get clear on the outcome or result you want to create and focus fully on the task you are doing at that time.

5. Group similar tasks together. Try consolidating errands, phone calls, e-mails, housework, or any personal projects. Doing similar or related tasks together gets you into the zone and often tasks flow to completion.

6. Develop a rhythm or routine for the things you have to do. Scientists state complex tasks become easier and general tasks can be done quicker when part to the process becomes a routine. Doing tasks at certain times of the day or week get you into a rhythm creating momentum and energy around what you do.

7. Prioritize daily. Look at your day and highlight the tasks that would bring you the most benefit. Put these at the top of your list and do them first.

8. Focus on task completion. Always start with the end in mind. If you are unable to complete a larger task break it down into smaller actions and focus on completing each step.

9. Set aside refresh time. If you find getting work done is really difficult you may not be scheduling enough time to rejuvenate and relax. Having a balance of work and play helps you to work quicker with more enthusiasm and concentration.

10. Reassess at the end of the day. Take a few minutes to re think your success or what you need to improve and make a plan for the next day. These little shifts in action that can help you be productive and efficient.

Time management skills are essential for anyone who works, manages a home and family, studies or is working in a home business. Try these smart organizing tips for better time management and increased efficiency.

by: Jane Alais

Further Reading
Want to clear clutter and manage time better? Click here and to go to http://www.declutterbefree.com for your special free report.

Jane Alais is a professional organizer, the creator of Declutter Befree.com and the author of Get Organized-Get Happy A Step by Step Guide to Clear Clutter and Organize Success. She writes about strategies and solutions to declutter, organize and energize your home and your life.

Photography via flickr by Laffy4k.