As divorcing spouses, you must present a list of the assets you own to the court. It will use this when determining or approving how to divide property. For this to function, both you and your spouse need to be honest and list everything you own, without omissions.
Yet, some spouses omit things. They might just leave them off the list, hoping no one will check, or they might try to remove them from the scene to avoid someone detecting their deception. If you suspect your spouse is hiding assets from you (and the court) here are three places you could begin your search:
1. In plain sight
Some spouses do not so much try to hide an asset, rather than disguise its worth. For instance, they treat the vase on the sideboard as nothing more than an old piece they picked up from someone’s garage store when it is actually a valuable item they paid an antique dealer a lot for. Perhaps using money from your joint account.
2. With friends or family
Has your spouse’s younger brother just bought a new property you cannot fathom how they came to afford? Or has their father just added yet another property to his large rental portfolio? In both cases, it might be your spouse who funded these purchases. The other party merely made the acquisition in their name to prevent you from being able to claim a share in the divorce.
3. In accounts that you would struggle to access
Does your spouse hold cryptocurrency? Have they set up an offshore account or moved money into a state such as Nevada that offers secretive trusts? People have been using such methods to hide money from everyone from their spouses to the taxman for years.
Even if you locate these assets, accessing them could still be extremely difficult. Getting help to learn how you might do so and how you can petition a court for your fair share will be wise.
