To end this year, and start the next year with documents, and hopefully finances in shape, you should:
- Update, or have made, Wills and Living Wills (also called Health Care Directives); if you have gotten married, gotten divorced, had a child, or your child has reached 18, you should have these documents redone or done.
- Look at your finances, especially in these times, and see if you are looking at something like bankruptcy. At some point there is going to be a large number of filing with that Court, which will only delay your Court date, not the filing itself. If you think you may be looking at filing, the documents you will need to get together include.
- A. The most recent 6 months of bank statements for any accounts you are a signer on.
- B. The most recent 6 months of paystubs, or a printout of what you get from unemployment (as those are taken together and averaged out for your monthly income, generally).
- C. A copy of any car or other vehicle titles.
- D A copy of the deed and mortgage on any property you own.
- E. Your last two tax returns.
- F. Last 401k/IRA statement if you have those accounts. and
- G. Start putting aside money to pay the attorney and the filing fee.