Start with what each of you owns, owes, and earns. Use this checklist to gather records, organize the numbers, and give each other time to ask questions before signing.
Gather recent statements and records for your accounts, property, debts, income, and any business or other financial interests.
Work through each row separately for each partner. If a category does not apply, mark it that way; if you are waiting for a record, mark it as outstanding. An empty cell should not quietly stand in for zero.
Use this as a preparation list, then follow the disclosure instructions for your agreement and any advice from your own attorney. There is no single document bundle that guarantees compliance in every state or situation.
| Records to gather | Details to record | |
|---|---|---|
| Bank and cash accounts | Recent checking, savings, money-market, and CD statements | Institution, account type, owner, balance, and statement date |
| Investments and retirement | Brokerage, IRA, 401(k), pension, and other plan statements | Owner, current reported value or benefit information, date, and any plan loans |
| Real estate | Ownership records, a recent valuation source, and mortgage or home-equity statements | Address, ownership share, estimated property value, valuation date, and each loan balance |
| Businesses and equity compensation | Ownership agreements, available financial statements, stock grants, and vesting schedules | Entity, ownership percentage, vested and unvested interests, restrictions, and valuation basis |
| Digital assets and valuable property | Exchange statements, an inventory of self-held digital assets, and available appraisals or ownership records | Asset description, quantity or ownership share, estimated value, date, and valuation source |
| Debts and other obligations | Credit-card, student-loan, vehicle-loan, personal-loan, and tax-balance records; guarantees and support orders if applicable | Creditor, borrower or guarantor, balance, payment obligation, and date |
| Income | Recent pay statements, relevant tax returns, bonus or commission records, and business or rental-income records | Source, period covered, gross amount, and whether the payment is recurring or variable |
| Trusts, gifts, and inheritance interests | Relevant documents available to you and records of assets already received | What you currently own, the nature of any other interest, restrictions, and information that needs clarification |
| Regular expenses | A current budget and records of significant recurring expenses | Housing, insurance, debt payments, support obligations, and other commitments relevant to your discussions |
Use one row per asset, debt, or income source, with enough detail for your partner to understand the entry and find the supporting record.
A useful working schedule has these columns: partner or owner; category; description; value or balance; date; supporting record; and notes or open questions. Keep both partners' entries clearly identified, and identify jointly owned items so you do not accidentally count the same asset twice in a combined total.
For example, list a home with an estimated value of $400,000 and a mortgage balance of $250,000 as separate entries. The $150,000 difference is useful context, but reporting only that difference hides the underlying property and debt. These are illustrative numbers, not a recommended valuation method.
Separate a current account balance from annual income. A retirement account's value, this year's contributions, and the income used to fund it describe different things. The same care helps with business revenue versus money actually paid to you.
Disclosure describes the financial picture. The agreement sets out how you intend to treat it; our guide to what a prenup can cover explains the topics to discuss.
Identify where each number came from and when it was measured; do not present an uncertain estimate as an established value.
Use a reasonably consistent snapshot date where practical, and keep the actual statement dates visible. If an asset changes quickly, such as a brokerage portfolio or cryptocurrency holding, record the date and source of the estimate. For foreign accounts, identify the currency and the date and source of any conversion used.
A business, pension, stock option, or trust interest may not have a simple balance you can copy from a statement. Describe the interest and available information, flag what is missing, and ask your attorney whether an appraisal or other professional input is appropriate. See our business-owner prenup guide for related planning questions.
Keep assets already received separate from a possible future gift or inheritance. Do not assign a guessed cash value to an expectation or leave a known interest unexplained. Ask your attorney how to describe it when ownership, timing, or access is uncertain.
Give each other the organized information and supporting records with enough time to read them, ask questions, and resolve gaps.
First, each partner gathers their records and prepares their entries. Next, exchange the schedules and identify missing statements, unexplained debts, inconsistent dates, or unclear ownership. Keep a short list of open questions and the documents needed to answer them.
Before signing, compare the final disclosure schedules with what you reviewed together. Check for material changes such as a new loan, sale of a property, or changed ownership interest. Follow your attorney's instructions about updates and which schedules or attachments belong with the final agreement. Keep copies of the final information you exchanged.
Build this work into your prenup timeline. Gathering documents and allowing a meaningful review are separate from the time it takes to fill out a questionnaire.
Get advice about your state's rules when information is missing, an interest is difficult to value, or either partner is being asked to waive disclosure.
Financial disclosure can matter if a prenup is challenged, but the legal test depends on the state and circumstances. For example, Virginia Code § 20-151 addresses disclosure and a written waiver within its test for an agreement that was unconscionable when signed. That is not a rule that every omission automatically invalidates every prenup.
Do not assume a waiver cures missing information or that checking every box guarantees enforceability. Start with your state's prenup guide, and bring unresolved questions to an attorney licensed in the relevant state. Complex business interests, trusts, foreign assets, and significant uncertainty deserve particular attention.
Gather your records, talk through the open questions, and explore the guided prenup process together.
Start Your Prenup →Start with recent account and retirement statements, property and loan records, income records, and documents describing business, equity, trust, or other financial interests. Each partner should identify values or balances, dates, ownership, and missing information. Your agreement and state-specific advice determine what is needed in your situation.
An itemized schedule is a more useful starting point. A single net-worth figure does not show what you own, what you owe, who owns each item, or how you arrived at the values. Record assets and related debts separately and keep their supporting documents.
Label the uncertainty, record the information and valuation source you do have, and ask your attorney whether further documentation or professional valuation is appropriate. Do not enter zero simply because a value is unknown.
Review the schedules again before signing, identify material changes, and resolve outstanding questions. Follow your attorney's instructions about any updates and the final schedules or attachments to retain with your agreement.
No. This is a preparation tool. Disclosure, voluntary signing, the agreement's terms, and other requirements are evaluated under applicable law. An attorney can advise on your circumstances and your state's requirements.
Trusted Prenup is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. This page is general information about prenuptial agreements and pricing and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your situation.