Tips for Responding to Divorce Interrogatories

During the process of divorce discovery, each spouse has the chance to ask questions or request documents from the other as they collect evidence for their claim. These requests are made in the form of “interrogatories,” which are the written questions submitted from one spouse to the other. When you receive interrogatories, you must provide written answers.

Here are a few tips for responding to these interrogatories when you receive them.

• Submit your responses in a timely manner: When you receive the interrogatories, you will be given deadlines for your responses. It is crucial that you submit your answers on time, as otherwise you could be subject to court sanctions. There are some circumstances in which emergencies may arise to prevent you from submitting your responses on time—just make sure your attorney knows this so they can request an extension.
• Always give the full truth: Even if the interrogatories request information that could be uncomfortable or damaging to your case, you must provide truthful responses. Lying in an interrogatory could come back to harm you greatly later in your case.
• Answer every interrogatory: Not only should you be truthful in all your responses, but you should also answer every interrogatory submitted to you. A failure to respond could result in a motion to compel a response being filed against you, which will result in additional attorney’s fees for which you may end up being responsible.
• Know when to object: There are certain cases in which you can object to the request made in an interrogatory. If it is offensive, inappropriate, irrelevant or causes an unnecessary burden, you can submit an objection. That objection may be subject to review by the court.

For more information about how you can properly respond to divorce interrogatories, contact an experienced divorce lawyer at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia LLP.