Financial circumstances can change during a divorce or legal separation, and information that was unavailable at the beginning of the case may later become known. California permits preliminary disclosures to be amended, and spouses have continuing duties to update material information.

An Initial Disclosure Is Not the Final Word

A spouse may amend a preliminary disclosure without obtaining advance permission from the court. The updated information must be served on the other spouse, and proof of that service should be filed.

An amendment may be appropriate when an omitted account is discovered, a debt balance changes materially, or a claimed property characterization requires correction.

New Valuation Information Should Be Shared

A business appraisal, pension calculation, real-estate valuation, or updated account statement may provide information that was unavailable when the original disclosure was prepared.

A spouse who has better access to valuation records must not withhold them merely because the original disclosure listed the value as unknown or estimated.

Income and Expense Changes Also Matter

Changes in employment, bonuses, commissions, business income, housing expenses, insurance, or other material financial circumstances may affect support and attorney-fee issues.

Current financial information should be provided when required for a hearing, settlement, or trial. An outdated statement should not be presented as current when significant facts have changed.

Updating Information Can Protect the Judgment

Incomplete or misleading disclosures may delay judgment, support monetary sanctions, limit evidence, or create grounds for postjudgment relief. Correcting an earlier mistake promptly can reduce those risks.

An amendment does not erase the consequences of intentional concealment, but it can demonstrate an effort to comply before the parties rely on inaccurate information.

A California family-law attorney can review earlier disclosures, prepare appropriate amendments, document service, and ensure that settlements and court orders are based on current financial facts.