In litigation generally and family law specifically, there is copious amounts of information that often must be gathered and sorted through to produce the most comprehensive argument and case for a party. Often, this information comes from third parties or discovery, but many times, the most valuable information comes from the party himself/herself.
- Calendars
In family law matters, it often comes down to a he said/she said argument. Having a calendar of parenting time or when the children are in activities can be momentously helpful when it comes to testimony about events that may have happened three (3) years ago. Trying to remember whether a parent exercised full parenting time on a Wednesday in 2008 may be impossible without the assistance of a calendar or otherwise to refresh your memory.
- Journal/notes
Again, when it comes down to recollection of an event, it often becomes he said/she said. Having a detailed journal with events from a certain day or series of time can help lay out a timeline of what has happened and can again refresh your memory as to specifics from many months ago.
- Receipts
Another common piece of litigation comes down to receipts. Were uninsured medical expenses paid for? In what amount? Keeping detailed and organized receipts (a shoebox of crumpled receipts may be helpful, but time consuming and frustrating!) can assist you and your counsel in quickly describing payments made or not made, which may be integral to your case.
Record keeping can be tedious and frustrating on a daily basis, but if litigation is expected or possible, it may save you hours, even days down the road. We hope that this blog post has been helpful in exploring how organizing daily information may assist in a future case. This blog is not intended as legal advice. Ciyou & Dixon, P.C. practices throughout the state of Indiana. This blog post was written by attorney, Jessica Keyes.
