How Can I Prepare a Maintenance Claim if I Do Not Know My Spouse's Income?

Maintenance and Compensation

Prepared by: Constantinople

Not having all your spouse's income information does not mean that the matter cannot be examined. However, estimates, information heard from others and information supported by documents should be shown separately. First prepare your own regular income and expenses, the children's needs and current payment arrangements. Interim maintenance, post-divorce maintenance and child maintenance are different claims; the type being assessed should be identified from the outset.

It is useful to organise housing, health, education, care and other essential expenses with dates and payment records. If the other party has known employment, company connections, rental income or other economic activity, state the source of that information. Records requiring investigation through the court differ from documents lawfully in your possession. Cracking passwords, entering another person's account without permission or unlawfully obtaining private data should not be treated as document preparation. Admissibility of evidence is also a separate legal issue.

In a paid written review, we separately identify the claim's basis, documented needs and known ability to pay, and explain issues requiring investigation for missing records. Where there is a foreign connection, applicable law and collection of the judgment in another country are examined separately. Preparing an expense list or alleging high income does not guarantee a particular maintenance award. For an initial paid-review enquiry, a brief statement of the country connection, existing judgment and question is sufficient. The scope and transfer method for detailed financial documents are clarified in writing at the next stage.