What Financial Documents Should Be Provided to a Matrimonial Forensic Accountant?

A matrimonial forensic accountant may need access to a range of financial records when analysing income, assets, liabilities, business interests or other financial information in family proceedings. The documents required will depend on the facts of the matter, the questions the expert has been instructed to consider and the period relevant to the analysis.

Providing relevant records in an organised form can make it easier to identify the financial information available for review and any areas where further documentation or clarification may be required.

This guide outlines financial documents that may commonly be relevant when instructing a matrimonial forensic accountant in financial remedy proceedings.

Why Financial Documents Matter in Forensic Accounting

Forensic accounting analysis generally relies on underlying financial records rather than summaries alone. Depending on the scope of the instruction, documents may be reviewed to help analyse:

• Sources and levels of income
• Business performance and financial position
• Personal and business expenditure
• Bank and investment activity
• Liabilities and outstanding borrowing
• Transfers between individuals and businesses
• Dividends, bonuses and other remuneration
• Changes in financial circumstances over time

The relevant documents will vary from case to case. A focused document request can help keep the review proportionate to the issues being considered.

For an overview of the types of forensic accounting work undertaken in family proceedings, see the matrimonial forensic accounting services.

Personal Financial Documents

The starting point will often include records relating to the individual's personal finances.

Bank Statements

Bank statements may be relevant where the instruction involves reviewing income, expenditure, transfers or other account activity.

Depending on the circumstances, records may be required for:

• Current accounts
• Savings accounts
• Credit card accounts
• Investment accounts
• Joint accounts
• Other accounts held or controlled by the individual

The appropriate period will depend on the purpose of the analysis. A longer period may be relevant where historical transactions need to be examined.

A bank statement may show that a transaction occurred, but it may not by itself establish the purpose or underlying nature of that transaction. Supporting records may therefore be relevant where particular transactions require further analysis or clarification.

Payslips and Employment Records

Where an individual is employed, potentially relevant records may include:

• Recent payslips
• P60s
• Employment contracts
• Bonus statements
• Commission records
• Benefits information
• Other remuneration documentation

These records may help explain how employment income has been calculated and whether remuneration includes variable or non-salary elements.

Tax Records

Tax documentation may provide another source of information about reported income and taxable sources.

Potentially relevant records include:

• Self Assessment tax returns
• Tax calculations
• Tax year overviews
• HMRC correspondence
• Dividend records
• Records relating to other taxable income

Tax records should generally be considered alongside other financial information rather than treated as a complete picture of an individual's financial circumstances.

Business Financial Documents

Where one or both parties have an interest in a company, partnership or other business, the financial records may be considerably broader.

Company Accounts and Management Information

Company accounts can provide information about turnover, profitability, assets, liabilities and changes in the financial position of a business.

Depending on the instruction, potentially relevant documents may include:

• Statutory accounts
• Management accounts
• Profit and loss accounts
• Balance sheets
• Cash flow information
• General ledgers
• Trial balances

Management information may also be relevant where the latest statutory accounts do not reflect the most recent trading position.

Company Tax Records

Relevant records may include:

• Corporation tax returns
• Corporation tax computations
• VAT returns
• PAYE records
• HMRC correspondence

These records may be considered alongside company accounts and underlying accounting information where relevant to the expert's analysis.

Business Bank Statements

Business bank statements may assist with understanding transactions entering and leaving a company.

Depending on the scope of the instruction, the analysis may consider:

• Customer receipts
• Supplier payments
• Transfers to connected parties
• Director payments
• Dividends
• Loan transactions
• Significant or unusual transactions requiring clarification

The presence of a particular transaction does not, by itself, establish its purpose or indicate that anything improper has occurred. Where a transaction requires further explanation, supporting accounting records or other documentation may be relevant.

Documents Concerning Directors and Shareholders

Additional records may be relevant where a party is a company director or shareholder.

Director's Loan Account Records

Director's loan account information may be important where money has moved between an individual and their company.

Potentially relevant documents include:

• Director's loan account statements
• Accounting entries supporting the balance
• Repayment records
• Relevant company resolutions
• Related correspondence

The accounting balance may need to be considered alongside the underlying transactions and supporting records. An accounting balance alone may not explain the full financial circumstances surrounding the account.

Dividend Records

Where dividends form part of a person's financial circumstances, relevant documents may include:

• Dividend vouchers
• Dividend declarations
• Board minutes or resolutions
• Dividend payment records
• Company accounting records

These records may help establish when dividends were declared, the amounts involved and how payments were recorded.

Remuneration Records

For directors and senior employees, remuneration may extend beyond basic salary.

Potentially relevant documents include:

• Payroll records
• Bonus arrangements
• Commission records
• Benefits information
• Pension contributions
• Expense records

The records required will depend on the nature of the remuneration package and the issues being examined.

Documents Relating to Property and Other Assets

Property and other significant assets may require supporting documentation.

Potentially relevant records include:

• Property valuations
• Mortgage statements
• Completion statements
• Land Registry information
• Rental statements
• Investment account statements
• Shareholding records
• Pension statements
• Loan agreements

Where an asset has changed in value or ownership over time, historical documentation may also be relevant.

Documents Relating to Liabilities

Where liabilities form part of the financial analysis, they may need to be supported by appropriate records.

These may include:

• Mortgage statements
• Personal loan statements
• Credit agreements
• Credit card statements
• Business loan documentation
• Guarantees
• Tax liabilities
• Other outstanding borrowing

The existence, amount and nature of a liability may need to be considered from the underlying documentation and other available evidence.

Documents for Expenditure and Lifestyle Analysis

Where the instruction involves expenditure or lifestyle analysis, a broader range of records may be relevant.

These could include:

• Personal bank statements
• Credit card statements
• Mortgage and property costs
• Education expenses
• Travel expenditure
• Household expenditure
• Insurance payments
• Club or membership fees
• Vehicle-related costs
• Significant one-off purchases

The relevance of particular expenditure records will depend on the questions the forensic accountant has been asked to address.

Where expenditure appears inconsistent with other financial information, the appropriate approach is generally to examine the underlying records and seek clarification rather than draw conclusions from an isolated transaction.

Documents Relating to Overseas Assets or Interests

International financial interests may require additional documentation.

Depending on the circumstances, potentially relevant records may include:

• Overseas bank statements
• Foreign company accounts
• Shareholding documents
• Property records
• Trust documentation
• Foreign tax records
• Loan agreements
• Foreign exchange records

Where documents are produced in another language or currency, additional information may be required to understand the records accurately.

The nature and scope of any international analysis will depend on the assets, entities and financial questions involved.

Electronic Records and Accounting Data

Some financial information may be held electronically rather than in conventional paper documents.

Depending on the circumstances, potentially relevant material may include:

• Accounting software reports
• General ledger exports
• Transaction listings
• Payroll reports
• Electronic invoices
• Spreadsheet records
• Digital bookkeeping records

The original electronic format may provide additional context or transaction-level information, depending on the accounting system and records available.

Where electronic records are supplied, retaining the original files may be useful where the underlying format contains information that is not visible in a printed or converted version.

How to Organise Financial Documents for Review

A clear document structure can make it easier to identify what information has been provided and what may still be outstanding.

A practical structure might separate records into:

1. Personal income and remuneration
2. Personal bank and credit accounts
3. Tax records
4. Business and company records
5. Business bank accounts
6. Property and investments
7. Pensions
8. Liabilities and borrowing
9. Overseas interests
10. Other relevant financial records

Documents should generally cover the period relevant to the instruction rather than assuming that every historical record will be required.

It may also be useful to retain the original source documents where possible. Spreadsheets and summaries can help organise information, but they may not contain all of the underlying detail needed for forensic accounting analysis.

The Form E review and analysis service covers review of Form E information and supporting financial records, including bank statements, business accounts, tax returns, property and investment information.

What If Some Documents Are Not Available?

It may not always be possible to obtain every relevant financial document immediately.

A record may be unavailable because:

• It is held by another party
• The business uses an external accountant or bookkeeper
• The relevant account has been closed
• Records are held electronically
• Historical records are incomplete
• The document has not yet been requested

Where information is missing, it can be useful to identify what is unavailable and the reason it has not been provided. Alternative records may sometimes provide relevant supporting information, depending on the issue being investigated.

A forensic accountant may also identify additional documents that could assist with a particular area of analysis as the review develops.

Documents Should Match the Scope of the Instruction

There is no universal document list that applies to every matrimonial forensic accounting instruction.

For example, an instruction concerning an employed individual may require substantially different records from a matter involving:

• A company owner
• Multiple businesses
• Partnership interests
• Overseas assets
• Complex remuneration
• Significant disputed transactions
• Questions concerning income or expenditure

The documents requested should therefore be considered in the context of the specific financial questions that the expert has been instructed to address.

Where the instruction involves business interests, the business valuation service provides further context on the types of financial information that may be relevant to a matrimonial business valuation.

Final Considerations for Solicitors

Before providing financial records to a matrimonial forensic accountant, it may be helpful to establish:

• What questions the expert has been instructed to consider
• What period of financial information is relevant
• Which personal and business records are available
• Whether any records are missing
• Whether particular documents require explanation or additional context
• Whether electronic accounting data is available
• Whether there are known areas of financial dispute requiring particular attention

A focused document set can help the forensic accountant understand the financial information relevant to the instruction. Where further records become relevant during the analysis, these can be considered in light of the specific issues being examined.

For matters requiring expert evidence, the expert witness reports service provides further information about the firm's work in England and Wales family proceedings.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about financial documents that may be relevant to matrimonial forensic accounting. The documents required in a particular matter will depend on the facts of the case, the scope of the instruction and the applicable procedural requirements. It is not legal or financial advice. Last Reviewed: September 2026