Filing for divorce in California requires you to release a great deal of personal information. This could include information about your finances, savings accounts, properties, business assets, investments, debts and other relevant documents. If this information falls in the hands of the wrong person, they could release it to the media or share it with friends and family members.
How can you protect your personal information?
According to traditional family law, you’re required to hand over extensive financial documentation so the judge can figure out how to divide your assets with your former spouse. To keep this information from getting leaked to third parties, you might want to apply for a confidentiality agreement.
A confidentiality agreement prohibits people from showing this information to anyone but the interested parties involved in the divorce. This includes sharing private information with friends and family members, as well as posting it on social media.
A confidentiality agreement can also limit your former spouse’s access to your private information. Once the divorce is over, your former spouse won’t be able to view the information that you submitted during the case. They also won’t be able to use this information in other cases unless you’re required to resubmit it. Their attorney might keep a copy of your information for their records, but they won’t be able to share it with your former spouse once the divorce has been finalized.
If your former spouse or another individual breaks the confidentiality agreement, they could face serious legal consequences. For this reason, it’s important to get an agreement if you’re worried about the misuse of your personal information. Most judges will freely grant confidentiality agreements since there’s no strong argument against it.
Do you need an attorney to manage your case?
Hiring an attorney doesn’t automatically mean that your case will go to court. An attorney might be able to help you and your former spouse finalize your divorce without dealing with a trial. And even if you do go to trial, your attorney could offer advice and guidance that helps you protect your personal information.