An initial divorce consultation is most useful when the starting position, open questions and personal aims have been roughly organised. The purpose is not to draft a complete solution before the meeting.
Collect the key information about the marriage, separation, children, housing and finances. Depending on the issue, Austrian family law and procedural documents may matter; the concrete situation and documents still need to be reviewed.
This article deals only with preparing the first consultation. It complements the topic Preparing separation and helps make documents, priorities and missing information visible.
What should the first consultation clarify?
This short check helps focus preparation on documents or on concrete points of conflict.
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Where is your main preparation need?
Choose the answer closest to your situation. This assessment is not advice on an individual case.
Overview of all answers.
Structure documents and questions for the consultation
Prepare a short overview of the marriage, separation, children, housing and finances. Add the key documents and mark which information is still missing.
Prepare concrete disputes and the next decisions
Arrange letters, agreements and relevant dates in chronological order. Note which decision needs prompt clarification and which consequences you particularly want to avoid.
Which information belongs in the first consultation
Start with the key facts: when was the marriage entered into, when did the separation begin, who lives where and which questions about children, care or contact are already open? A short chronology is often more useful than a long unstructured account.
Add the financial starting position with information about income, regular costs, accounts, loans and housing. Note which points are established and which are only assumptions.
Organise documents by topic, not by chance
Keep marriage records, identity and residence documents, income records, bank statements, loan papers and housing or asset contracts in separate groups. Documents about children and existing agreements belong in the file as well.
Mark missing records clearly. The consultation can then establish which document should be obtained first and which question can be discussed even before the file is complete.
Turn aims into concrete questions
Do not describe your aims only as an outcome. Turn them into questions: What should apply to housing in the short term? Which arrangement for the children would work in daily life? Which financial points need to be clarified first?
Separate short-term stability from the later divorce or division of assets. This helps prevent a temporary arrangement from being treated too quickly as a final solution.
Make open points and risks visible
Bring letters from authorities, courts, banks or the other spouse if they concern the separation. Note when each letter arrived and what you want to understand about it instead of guessing its legal meaning.
Missing information is also a useful preparation result. Record which accounts, contracts, payments or arrangements remain unclear and whether any supporting documents are available.
What the first consultation can achieve
The first meeting can organise the starting position, the legal issues requiring review and the sensible order of next steps. It can also show which information is still needed for an amicable solution.
A binding statement or agreement should not be made merely because it was mentioned during the meeting. The content, consequences and appropriate form should be understood before a final decision is made.
Three topics for effective consultation preparation
Organise preparation by life area, question and next clarification.
| Topic | What to collect | How it helps in the meeting |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Marriage and separation facts, childcare arrangements and open questions | The consultation can put the family situation and priorities into context |
| Housing and money | Rental or ownership papers, income, accounts, loans and regular costs | Financial dependencies and missing records become visible |
| Aims | Short-term needs, the desired outcome and points without agreement | The next step can be separated from the long-term divorce aim |
This overview is general information. The individual case remains decisive.
Three steps to a prepared initial consultation
This order prevents important questions from being lost among documents and assumptions.
Collect key facts
Briefly record the marriage, separation, children, housing, income and the main open points.
Sort the documents
Arrange records by family, housing, money and agreements; mark missing evidence.
Discuss aims
Choose three to five core questions and separate immediate clarification from longer-term aims.
Practice tip: Prepare a one-page overview with key dates, three core questions and a list of missing documents. You can organise copies or digital files by topic; keep originals with you.
Prepare the divorce consultation: questions, documents and aims
How many documents should I bring to the first consultation?
Bring documents concerning the marriage, separation, children, housing and finances. A short list of missing records is just as useful as a complete file.
Which questions should I ask in the first meeting?
Choose three to five core questions, for example about housing, children, maintenance, assets or the next procedural step. Also note which decision you need soon and which longer-term aim matters to you.
Can a divorce agreement already be prepared in the first consultation?
The first consultation can clarify which points for an amicable solution remain open and which documents are needed. A final statement should only be made after its content, consequences and appropriate form have been reviewed.
Useful next topics
Preparing separation
Basic practical and legal orientation for the first steps after separation.
Preparing the consultation
Checklist for aims, important dates, existing agreements and urgent questions.
Clarify your own case
Briefly describe the situation. We assess your position confidentially and in a structured way.