When a married couple divorces, assets and wealth they have acquired during the marriage are subject to division. For some, this creates the temptation to hide income and assets to keep them out of the divorce settlement. If you have suspicions that your spouse may be doing this, watch for a few key warning signs.
You are shut out of shared accounts
Letters from the bank stop arriving at your door. The passwords you have created for your online financial accounts no longer work. If you share a bank, investment or any financial account with your spouse and find you no longer have access to account information, it is a warning sign of hidden assets.
Business is suddenly bad
Remember that side hustle your spouse got into that was bringing in so much money? At the first mention of divorce, the business is suddenly hurting and there is practically no money coming in at all. Businesses struggle for legitimate reasons, but if your spouse’s side job, sales job or self-employed endeavor is suddenly failing now that divorce is on the horizon, it is a warning sign of hidden income.
Other suspicious behavior
You are probably best at reading your spouse’s behavior. Are they suddenly tight-lipped about subjects they used to talk about a lot? Are new bank websites showing up in your browser history without your spouse having mentioned anything about starting a new account? Other warning signs include luxury purchases, paying old debts to friends or family members and making overpayments to creditors.
Get the experienced guidance you need
Finding hidden assets and income is a complex undertaking that may require private investigators, forensic accounting expertise and other resources. You do not and should not have to take on this burden alone. Turn to an experienced divorce lawyer who has experience handling these complex cases. Those hidden assets will not likely stay hidden for long.
