That big moment is coming. Your wedding day. How exciting! In the hubbub of activities surrounding the wedding itself, the issues relating to marriage in general can get lost in the shuffle.
Marriage presents a variety of legal issues, some of which are best planned for in advance, while others should be dealt with shortly after the ceremony. It is therefore often advisable that you consult with an experienced family law attorney to help you through the process and ensure an outcome that meets your needs not only now, but also in the future.
In order to do the best possible job on your behalf, your family law attorney needs your input and cooperation. If you decide that you do want to speak with an attorney, at your first meeting you should be prepared to provide the following information:
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Intake Form:Â For Marriage
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                   INFORMATION ABOUT YOU                 INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SPOUSE
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Name_______________________________Â Â ________________________________
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Date of Birth
____________________________________Â Â ________________________________
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Sex  M_____ F_____                                              M_____ F_____
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Social Security Number__________________Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ____________________
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Address, Including County (if any of the following information is the same for both of you, fill in only the left-hand column)
______________________________Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ______________________________
______________________________Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ______________________________
______________________________Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ______________________________
______________________________Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ______________________________
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Length of Time at that Address _______ years       _______ years
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Previous Address(es) (for last 10 years)
______________________________Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ______________________________
______________________________Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ______________________________
______________________________Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ______________________________
______________________________Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ______________________________
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Home Telephone Number __________________    ____________________
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Work Telephone Number __________________     ____________________
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Facsimile Number            __________________     ____________________
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E-mail Address              __________________       ____________________
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Former Name(s)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â __________________Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â __________________
                                           __________________        __________________
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Employer                    ______________________   _________________________
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Position                     ______________________   __________________________
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Employer's Address
 _____________________________  _________________________________
 _____________________________  _________________________________
 _____________________________  _________________________________
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Length of Time with Employer _______ years        _______ years
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Previous Employer(s) (for last 10 years)
 _____________________________    _________________________________
 _____________________________    _________________________________
 _____________________________    _________________________________
 _____________________________    _________________________________
 _____________________________    _________________________________
 _____________________________    _________________________________
 _____________________________    _________________________________
 _____________________________    _________________________________
 _____________________________    _________________________________
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Gross Monthly Income $_________________        $_________________
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Other Income
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Source/Amount ________________________         _________________________
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Source/Amount   ________________________       _________________________
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Source/Amount   ________________________       _________________________
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Date of Marriage _________________________________
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Place of Marriage ________________________________
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Previous Marriage(s) Yes ____  No ____              Yes ____ No ____
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Ended by:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ended by:
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Death ____ Divorce ____ Date ____       Death ____ Divorce ____ Date ____
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Death ____ Divorce ____ Date ____       Death ____ Divorce ____ Date ____
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Children of Current RelationshipÂ
Name                          Date of Birth  Social Security Number         Â
_______________Â Â Â Â Â _________Â Â Â Â Â _____________________Â Â Â Â Â
_______________Â Â Â Â Â _________Â Â Â Â Â _____________________Â Â Â Â Â
_______________Â Â Â Â Â _________Â Â Â Â Â _____________________Â Â Â Â Â
_______________Â Â Â Â Â _________Â Â Â Â Â _____________________Â Â Â Â Â
_______________Â Â Â Â Â _________Â Â Â Â Â _____________________Â Â Â Â Â
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Children from Other Marriages or Relationships
Name                          Date of Birth  Social Security Number          With Whom Residing
_______________Â Â Â Â Â _________Â Â Â Â Â _____________________Â Â Â Â Â _________________
_______________Â Â Â Â Â _________Â Â Â Â Â _____________________Â Â Â Â Â _________________
_______________Â Â Â Â Â _________Â Â Â Â Â _____________________Â Â Â Â Â _________________
_______________Â Â Â Â Â _________Â Â Â Â Â _____________________Â Â Â Â Â _________________
_______________Â Â Â Â Â _________Â Â Â Â Â _____________________Â Â Â Â Â _________________
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Legal Concerns (provide detail as applicable)
Premarital Agreement ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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Estate Planning ______________________________________ ___________________________________________________
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Financial Planning ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
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Health Care Directives ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
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Paternity _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
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Custody _______________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Child Support ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Property Ownership ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Other _________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Special Concerns
Physical or Mental Health of Self____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
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Physical or Mental Health of Spouse__________________________________________Â _______________________________________________________
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Physical or Mental Health of Children________________________________________Â ________________________________________________________
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Domestic Abuse or Violence_________________________________________________Â ________________________________________________________
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Child Abuse______________________________________________
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Custody or Visitation Issues_________________________________________________Â ________________________________________________________
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Financial Issues___________________________________________________
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Property Disputes_________________________________________________________Â ________________________________________________________________
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Other Important InformationÂ________________________________________________________________
Hiring a Family Law Attorney
Marriage laws are constantly changing. If you are tying the knot and have questions, you may need to consult an experienced family law attorney. A skilled lawyer who specializes in handling marriage and family matters can help you ensure that your legal rights are protected. Plus, it's important to speak to a lawyer familiar with the laws in your jurisdiction. Most offer free consultations, so your first step should be to contact an experienced family law attorney.