How to Fill Out the Statement of Net Worth in a New York Divorce

The Statement of Net Worth is the most dreaded document in a New York divorce. It is also the most important. Under 22 NYCRR § 202.16(b), both parties in any contested Supreme Court matrimonial action must exchange this sworn financial disclosure — and providing false or incomplete information constitutes perjury.

The form (UCS Rev. 1/1/26) runs 12 to 20 pages depending on the complexity of your finances. It requires a full accounting of your income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. Getting it right gives you credibility with the court and leverage in negotiations. Getting it wrong can result in a preclusion order that prevents you from introducing financial evidence at trial.

When You Must File

You must exchange the Statement of Net Worth within 20 days of a written demand from the other party. In practice, the court expects it at or before the preliminary conference (which must be scheduled within 45 days of filing the Request for Judicial Intervention).

As of 2026, the Statement of Net Worth is affirmed under penalty of perjury rather than requiring notarization — a procedural simplification, but the legal consequences of misstatement are unchanged.

Section-by-Section Walkthrough

Income

List all sources of gross income: salary, wages, bonuses, commissions, self-employment income, rental income, investment income, and any other recurring payments. Attach your three most recent tax returns, W-2s, 1099s, and the last two months of pay stubs.

If you are self-employed, you must provide business tax returns (Schedule C, K-1 forms, or corporate returns) in addition to personal returns. The court will normalize your income by adding back personal expenses run through the business.

Monthly Expenses

Every expense must be listed on a monthly basis. This is where most people make errors:

• Weekly expenses: Multiply by 4.3 (not 4) to get the monthly figure
• Annual expenses: Divide by 12
• Bi-weekly expenses: Multiply by 2.17

The form covers housing (mortgage/rent, taxes, insurance, HOA), utilities, transportation, food, clothing, medical, children's expenses, entertainment, and debt service. Be thorough — an artificially low expense total undermines your maintenance claim, while inflated expenses invite cross-examination.

Assets

Every asset must be listed with its current fair market value. Categories include:

• Real estate (include the property address, fair market value, and outstanding mortgage balance)
• Bank accounts (checking, savings, CDs — institution name, account number, current balance)
• Investment and brokerage accounts
• Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, pension — include the institution, current balance, and date of marriage balance if available)
• Vehicles (make, model, year, estimated value, and any outstanding loan)
• Life insurance policies (cash surrender value for whole life policies)
• Personal property of significant value (jewelry, art, collectibles)

Liabilities

List every debt: credit cards, student loans, personal loans, medical debt, tax obligations, and any money owed to family members. Include the creditor name, outstanding balance, and monthly payment.

Separate Property Claims

If you are claiming any asset as separate property (premarital assets, inheritances, gifts from third parties, personal injury awards), you must identify it specifically and provide documentation proving its separate origin. Without this documentation, the presumption is that everything is marital.

Documents You Need to Gather

Before you can complete the form, assemble:

• Federal and state tax returns for the last three years
• W-2s and 1099s for the last three years
• The last two months of pay stubs
• Bank statements (all accounts, last 12 months)
• Investment and brokerage account statements
• Retirement account statements (current balance and balance at date of marriage)
• Mortgage statement showing current balance and monthly payment
• Credit card statements showing current balances
• Property tax bills
• Insurance policy declarations pages (health, auto, home, life)
• Business financial statements if self-employed

Common Mistakes That Trigger Problems

Omitting accounts. Failing to disclose a bank account or credit card — even one with a small balance — can be treated as fraud. Disclose everything.

Rounding or estimating. Use actual numbers from your most recent statements. Estimates invite challenges.

Forgetting to convert expenses. The court expects monthly figures. A weekly grocery expense of $200 listed as $800/month (instead of the correct $860) may seem minor, but accumulated errors across 15+ expense categories significantly distort the total.

Not updating. If your financial circumstances change materially between your initial filing and trial or settlement, you must file an updated Statement of Net Worth.

Using the Statement Strategically

The Statement of Net Worth is not just a compliance requirement — it is the factual foundation for every financial argument in your case. Your proposed spousal maintenance, child support, property division, and debt allocation all flow from the numbers in this document.

The New York Divorce Financial Split Guide includes a net worth preparation guide that walks you through each section with plain-English instructions, conversion tables, and a pre-filing document checklist — so you can complete the form accurately and avoid the most common rejection triggers.

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