Do not include voluntary deductions like health insurance premiums, union dues, or elective retirement contributions here. Those belong in the expenses section. The adjusted gross income from this section is what the court uses as the starting point for calculating child support and spousal maintenance in your current case.

Part 5: Your Monthly Expenses

This is often the most time-consuming part of the AFI. The form requires you to itemize your monthly living expenses across more than 40 separate line items, which are grouped into seven main categories:

• Housing and Utilities: Mortgage or rent, property taxes, homeowner's insurance, electricity, water, gas, trash, internet, and phone bills. If you own your home, include HOA fees and any maintenance costs.
• Food and Household Supplies: Groceries, cleaning supplies, paper goods, and other household necessities. Be realistic. The average Arizona household of two spends $500-700 per month on groceries.
• Transportation: Car payments, fuel, auto insurance, registration, and maintenance. Include parking and tolls if applicable. If you use rideshare services regularly, include those costs.
• Children's Expenses: Childcare or daycare, school tuition, school supplies, clothing, extracurricular activities, sports fees, and allowances. These figures directly impact child support calculations.
• Personal and Entertainment: Clothing, haircuts, gym memberships, dining out, subscriptions (streaming, magazines), and hobbies. Do not inflate these numbers to argue for higher support, and do not deflate them to minimize your standard of living. Accuracy matters.
• Healthcare: Health insurance premiums (your share, not the employer-paid portion), co-pays, prescriptions, dental, vision, therapy, and any recurring medical costs not covered by insurance.
• Other Debts and Payments: Minimum monthly payments on credit cards, student loans, personal loans, and other installment debts. List only the monthly payment amount here. The full balance goes in the debts section (Parts 6 and 7).

Tip for self-represented filers: Review your bank and credit card statements for the past three months to calculate accurate monthly averages. Many people underestimate their actual spending by 20-30% when estimating from memory. Clarity Divorce walks you through each category with prompts to help you capture expenses you might otherwise forget.

Part 6 & 7: Assets and Debts

In these final sections, you will list everything you own and everything you owe. Understanding Arizona's community property laws will help you determine which assets and debts are subject to division.

Assets you must disclose:

• Real property: Your home, any rental properties, vacant land, or timeshares. List the current market value and any remaining mortgage balance.
• Bank accounts: Checking, savings, money market, and CDs at every institution. Include accounts held jointly and individually.
• Retirement accounts: 401(k), 403(b), IRA, Roth IRA, pension plans, and deferred compensation. Use the most recent statement balance.
• Investment accounts: Brokerage accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and cryptocurrency holdings.
• Vehicles: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, boats, and trailers. Include the year, make, model, and current value.
• Life insurance: Any policies with a cash surrender value (term life policies with no cash value still need to be listed).
• Business interests: Ownership stakes in any business, LLC, or partnership. Include an estimated value if possible.
• Personal property of significant value: Jewelry, art, collectibles, firearms, or equipment worth more than a few hundred dollars.

Debts you must disclose:

• Mortgage balances (first and second)
• Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs)
• Auto loans
• Student loans (federal and private)
• Credit card balances (list each card separately)
• Medical debt
• Personal loans
• Tax debt owed to the IRS or Arizona Department of Revenue
• Any debts owed to family members

For each asset and debt, you must indicate whether it is community property (acquired during the marriage) or separate property (owned before the marriage, inherited, or received as a gift). If you are unsure, list it and note that the classification is disputed. The court will make the final determination.

Documents to Gather Before You Start

Completing the AFI accurately requires careful preparation. Before you begin filling out the form, gather the following documents. Having them on hand will make the process significantly smoother.

• Recent pay stubs (at least two)
• Federal and state tax returns for the past two to three years
• Statements for all bank accounts
• Statements for all credit card accounts
• Mortgage and real estate documents
• Statements for all retirement and investment accounts
• Vehicle loan information
• Any documents related to business ownership or income

How to Value Your Assets for the AFI

The AFI asks for the current fair market value of each asset, not what you paid for it or what you hope it is worth. Here is how to determine the right number for the most common asset types:

• Real estate: Use your county tax assessor's assessed value as a starting point. If you believe the market value is significantly different, a recent appraisal or a comparative market analysis from a real estate agent is more accurate. In Maricopa County, you can look up your property's assessed value on the county assessor's website.
• Retirement accounts: Use the balance shown on your most recent quarterly or monthly statement. Do not project future growth or estimate what the account will be worth at retirement. Report the current balance as of the statement date.
• Vehicles: Use Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com) private party value for your vehicle's year, make, model, mileage, and condition. The private party value (not trade-in or dealer retail) is what Arizona courts typically accept.
• Bank accounts: Report the balance as of the most recent statement. If funds have been moved or withdrawn since separation, note that on the form. The court may ask about significant withdrawals.
• Business interests: If you own a small business, the valuation can be complex. For sole proprietorships, the value of business equipment and inventory may suffice. For LLCs or partnerships with significant revenue, you may need a professional business valuation. This is one area where consulting an accountant is worth the cost.
• Cryptocurrency and digital assets: Report the market value as of a specific date (use the date you complete the form). Take a screenshot of your holdings as documentation.

When you are unsure of an asset's value, provide your best good-faith estimate and note that it is an estimate. The court expects honesty, not perfection.

The 5 Most Common AFI Mistakes to Avoid

Even with the best intentions, mistakes can happen. Being aware of common errors can help you avoid them.

1. Underreporting Income: Forgetting to include income from freelance work, bonuses, or overtime is a frequent oversight.
2. Forgetting Assets: It is easy to forget an old 401(k) from a previous employer or a small investment account. Be thorough.
3. Mathematical Errors: The AFI involves a lot of numbers. Double-check and triple-check your calculations to ensure they are accurate.
4. Missing Signatures or Notarization: The AFI is a sworn affidavit. It must be signed in the presence of a notary public to be valid.
5. Not Attaching Pay Stubs: The court requires proof of your stated income. Your most recent pay stubs must be attached to the AFI.

Important: The AFI is a legal document signed under penalty of perjury. Intentionally providing false or misleading information can lead to severe legal consequences, including fines, sanctions, or even the court setting aside the final divorce decree.

Penalties for Inaccurate Disclosure

The courts take financial disclosure very seriously. If a party is found to have been dishonest or intentionally inaccurate on their AFI, the judge has several options. They can order the non-compliant party to pay the other party's attorney fees, impose financial sanctions, or award a disproportionate share of assets to the honest spouse. In the most extreme cases, if a material misrepresentation is discovered after the divorce is finalized, the court could potentially reopen the case.

Why Accuracy Matters More Than You Think

The AFI is signed under oath. This is not a formality - Arizona courts treat intentional misrepresentation on an AFI as perjury. Consequences can include contempt of court charges, financial sanctions, a disproportionate asset award favoring your spouse, or the court reopening your case after it has been finalized.

Courts and opposing counsel have become increasingly skilled at identifying inconsistencies. Your bank statements, tax returns, and pay stubs will be cross-referenced against the numbers you report on the AFI. If your reported monthly expenses do not align with your actual spending patterns, it will raise red flags.

The best approach is to be thorough and honest. Underreporting your income by even a small amount can undermine your credibility on every other financial claim in your case. Clarity Divorce's guided process cross-checks your entries against your supporting documents to help catch errors before you file.

How Clarity Divorce Simplifies the AFI

For self-represented filers in Arizona, the Affidavit of Financial Information can be the most daunting part of the divorce process. If you are handling your entire divorce without an attorney, our step-by-step filing guide explains the full process from start to finish. For a realistic picture of how long the overall process takes, see our Arizona divorce timeline guide. This is where a service like Clarity Divorce becomes an invaluable ally. Instead of confronting a complex legal form on your own, the platform guides you through a series of simple, easy-to-understand questions about your finances.

Clarity Divorce is designed to eliminate the common errors that can delay a case or lead to unfair outcomes. The system performs all the necessary calculations automatically, removing the risk of math mistakes. It ensures you consider all sources of income and all types of assets, helping you create a complete and accurate picture for the court. Once you have answered the questions, the platform generates the official, court-approved DROSC13f form, properly formatted and ready for you to sign, notarize, and file. It transforms a stressful, complicated task into a straightforward, manageable process.

Your Path to a Fair Resolution

The Affidavit of Financial Information is a cornerstone of a fair and just divorce in Arizona. While it demands careful attention to detail, it is a necessary step to ensure that all financial decisions are made with full transparency. By understanding its purpose, preparing thoroughly, and proceeding with honesty, you can navigate this requirement with confidence.

Whether you choose to complete the forms on your own or use a supportive tool like Clarity Divorce to streamline the process, taking the time to complete the AFI accurately is an investment in a fair outcome and your own financial future.

Ready to get started? Begin your Arizona divorce paperwork or try the free demo to see how Clarity simplifies the AFI and every other form you need. If you want to understand the full cost picture first, our Arizona divorce cost breakdown covers filing fees, service costs, and what you can expect to pay total. Filing in Maricopa County? See our Maricopa County divorce filing guide for county-specific steps and fees.