Before you make a decision regarding divorce, it is helpful to know what assets and income your spouse has. If you do not currently know this information or have access to it, you may conduct formal discovery after a divorce case has started. Discovery is the formal process of exchanging information between the parties regarding relevant information pertaining to their divorce case. Discovery also enables the parties to know before a trial begins what evidence may be presented. It’s designed to prevent “trial by ambush,” where one side doesn’t learn of the other side’s evidence or witnesses until the trial, when there’s no time to obtain evidence. One common method of conducting formal discovery includes asking the other party to provide documentation related to their income or assets. Additionally, you may issue subpoenas to third parties (such as banks) to obtain copies of records related to the other parties’ finances. Finally, as part of the divorce process, each party is required to complete financial statements: an asset and debt statement and an income and expense statement. Both forms are available here: https://www.courts.state.hi.us/self-help/courts/forms/maui/family_court_forms. Before you decide whether to conduct further formal discovery, at the very least, you should ask to see your spouse’s financial statements.