Preparing evidence now for future filing?

[yankeelimer 1]

I realized that despite me and my wife being married and living together since 2004 we don't have much in the way of joint accounts or utility bills or anything, I was wondering if anyone had advice for getting that together for a future filing in the next year or two. I'm the US citizen and wanted to prepare now for the future filing.

We live in a house my wife inherited from her mother, she is on the deed along with her two brothers.

As far as bank accounts I have a US bank account and she has a Trinidad bank account, I added her as a beneficiary to my account a long time ago(they insisted on a SS# so I put her NIS#(Trinidad equivalent of SS#) which is the same amount of digits.) She has added me as a beneficiary to her account as well. To have a joint account in the US she would need a SS# which she doesn't have of course. Trying to have a joint Trinidad account with her was a bit of a nightmare, they want WAY more evidence to open a bank account than in the US. Its been a while though since we tried it, they actually told her she might not qualify if she had to apply today, she had opened an account as a child with her mother and apparently they now want way more info.

Utility bills are all in her, her brother, or their deceased mothers name. The power bill is in their deceased mothers name and we don't dare try to change it because the process is arduous and it would involve them cutting it and reconnecting it and then its up to them to approve a new account which could leave use without power for 90 days+(Trinidad in general and this area are backward and slow). Cable bill is in my wife's name, ISP her brother. Would it be advisable to try to sign up for an ISP in my own name? In general this country is not set up for dealing with foreigners that hold permanent residency, they often request citizen specific documents or bizarre things like letters from a childhood teacher or priest in Trinidad. If you can't produce it they just throw up their hands and say oh well, its most likely the area we are in too I assume expat areas are better equipped to deal.

As far as photos and other relationship evidence we have absolutely tons, including our wedding and the birth of our son and all that. I am not worried in this department.

I am on the bill and receipts when my wife was hospitalized and for the birth of our son.

If anyone has some general advice about the evidence of the relationship and intermingled lives I'd appreciate it, if the joint accounts or utility bill issue is important I'd like to get a chance to get that well before I file. Just so we're not caught out and have everything we need.

Thanks!

EDIT:Forgot to add my USA bank account allows me to add secondary ATM card holders, would it be a good idea to get my wife a card in her name? Also I use my parents house in the USA as the address for the account so they just mail me documents that come. Would that show anything good or bad?

Edited June 22, 2011 by yankeelimer

[yankeelimer 1]

Just to add our address is on all my dealings with Trinidad immigration and my permanent residency certificate, and everything else I have done here of course.