Quick answer: In a Delaware partition action you should produce original receipts, invoices, canceled checks, bank and credit‑card statements showing payments, contractor contracts and change orders, written estimates, insurance and tax records, and contemporaneous photographs and logs. Organize those records, authenticate them under Delaware evidence rules (authentication and the business‑records exception), and be prepared to produce copies during discovery or via subpoena.

This is educational information, not legal advice. Consult a Delaware attorney to apply these ideas to your case.

Detailed answer — what paperwork you need and why

1) Core documents to prove expense and payment

• Receipts and invoices from contractors, tradespeople, suppliers, and stores (showing date, item or service, amount, and payee).
• Canceled checks or bank records showing payments (copies of cleared checks or bank statements with highlighted transactions).
• Credit‑card statements and receipts showing the charged transactions and evidence the cardholder paid the bill.
• Contracts, change orders, and written estimates that describe the scope of work and price.
• Paid bills, receipts from suppliers (material invoices), and delivery tickets.
• Insurance claims and payouts, if insurance covered any repairs.
• Property tax and utility records showing periods of ownership and expenses tied to the property.
• Photographs or videos dated before, during, and after work showing the condition of the property.
• Contemporaneous logs or spreadsheets you kept showing dates, descriptions, and amounts (useful when receipts are missing).
• Settlement statements or escrow documents if the expense related to a closing or refinance.

2) Documents to prove ownership interest and party status

To show whose money was used and each party’s interest in the property, include deeds, title reports, mortgage statements, and any written ownership agreements or partition agreements.

3) Authentication and admissibility — what Delaware rules matter

Two Delaware evidence rules you will rely on are the authentication rule (to show a document is what you say it is) and the business‑records hearsay exception (to admit routine records without calling every preparer).

See the Delaware Rules of Evidence for rules on authentication and hearsay exceptions (for example, Rule 901 on authentication and Rule 803(6) on business records). You can review the rules here: Delaware Rules of Evidence (PDF).

4) How to authenticate receipts and bank statements

• Bank statements: Obtain originals or certified copies from the bank. A bank employee affidavit or business‑records witness can authenticate bank records if needed.
• Canceled checks: Provide copies showing the payee endorsement and bank endorsement; get a bank verification if originals are unavailable.
• Receipts/invoices: Produce original receipts when possible. If you only have copies, explain why and provide a witness (the payor or payee) to authenticate them.
• Business records: Use the business‑records exception by presenting a records custodian or affidavit showing the document was kept in the regular course of business.
• Photographs: Have a witness who took them testify about when and how they were taken and show metadata if available.

5) Discovery and production in Delaware civil cases

During discovery, request production of documents and admit statements under Delaware’s civil procedure rules (see Delaware Rules of Civil Procedure for document production and subpoena authority). You can find the rules here: Delaware Rules of Civil Procedure (PDF).

Practical steps:

• Serve a Request for Production asking for invoices, receipts, bank statements, credit‑card records, contracts, and payment evidence tied to the property for the relevant period.
• If a nonparty (bank or contractor) holds records, use a subpoena to obtain them.
• Preserve electronic records and emails. If a party destroys records, you may have remedies for spoliation.

6) Common evidentiary objections and how to avoid them

• Hearsay: Lay foundation for business‑records exception or have a witness testify that the statement is reliable.
• Lack of authentication: Keep originals or get a records custodian affidavit from the issuing entity (bank, contractor).
• Relevance: Tie the expense to the property and the partition claim — show dates and that the work/expense benefitted or preserved the property.
• Missing receipts: Supplement with bank records, sworn statements, contemporaneous logs, or contractor testimony.

7) Organize evidence the judge and opposing party can use

Streamline your presentation:

• Create a chronological binder or searchable PDF with an index.
• Label items: invoice number, date, payee, what it paid for, how it benefitted the property.
• Prepare a short summary spreadsheet showing each expense, the proof attached, and the total claimed.
• Highlight matching items between receipts and bank statements to show payment flowed from the claimant to the payee.

8) Special topics: capital improvements vs. repairs; who gets credit?

In partition cases courts often distinguish repairs (maintaining value) from capital improvements (increasing value). You will want documentation showing whether an expense was routine maintenance or a capital improvement, because that affects credits among co‑owners. Contracts, contractor testimony, and expert appraisal testimony can help categorize and value work.

9) Example (hypothetical facts and how documents help)

Hypothetical: Owner A paid $8,500 to replace a roof and wants credit in a partition. Useful documents:

• Contract with the roofing company and signed change orders.
• Invoice showing materials and labor dated to the work period.
• Bank statement and canceled check showing payment to the roofer.
• Before/after photos and an affidavit from Owner A describing need for replacement.
• Appraiser’s report showing the roof replacement increased market value (if parties dispute whether the work was maintenance or improvement).

With those documents you can authenticate the payment, fit the records into the business‑records exception, and present persuasive proof of both expense and benefit to the property.

10) When records are missing or incomplete

• Use secondary proof: bank withdrawals, credit‑card charges, contractor testimony, or sworn statements explaining the absence of receipts.
• If a party destroyed or withheld records intentionally, raise spoliation or ask the court for an adverse inference.
• Work with the bank and contractors to obtain archived statements or duplicate invoices.

Helpful Hints

• Collect originals whenever possible. Originals make authentication easier and reduce objections.
• Get certified copies from banks and contractors if originals are unavailable.
• Keep a clear index and cross‑reference each receipt to the payment evidence (bank/credit card rows and check numbers).
• Label every photo with the date and description; preserve metadata on digital photos and documents.
• Seek a records custodian affidavit from banks or businesses to admit records under the business‑records exception (Del. R. Evid. 803(6)).
• During discovery, request both documents and the identity of witnesses who can authenticate records.
• If work is disputed as capital vs. repair, consider a brief appraisal to show value added.
• Redact unrelated personal financial information when producing bank records, but keep the payment lines visible.
• Consult a Delaware attorney early — they can draft discovery requests and subpoenas and coach witnesses to authenticate records effectively.