Hidden assets are a common issue in a divorce situation, but they do not have to be a problem in yours. In some cases, hiding assets is one spouse’s way of trying to walk away with more from the property division portion of the divorce. Other times, the hiding of the assets is not intentional but accidental. Whatever the case, you need to uncover every single asset you and your spouse own because if you do not include it in your divorce paperwork, then the court has no jurisdiction over it and you may lose out.
Because of this, you want to make sure you uncover assets hidden purposefully and inadvertently so that you get an equitable settlement. Forbes explains that getting to the bottom of marital property can be a challenge since you may be completely unaware of the existence of an asset. To ensure you find everything, you need to take an investigative approach to uncover every financial aspect of your marriage.
Figure out where you start
You should start with an inventory of all the assets you know. Then, you can add to the list those you suspect your spouse may hold separately. If you feel there is something that could be a possibility, list it. You can always investigate to see if it actually exists.
Look for obvious signs
One of the best ways to figure out if there is a hidden asset is to look for signs in your financial documents – our Chandler divorce lawyers can help with this. Try to scrutinize tax returns, bank accounts and other financial accounts. Make sure to look deep into these documents and note anything out of the ordinary or that you cannot easily explain. You can then further probe into these issues. A spouse will generally leave some evidence behind, no matter how careful he or she is while trying to hide an asset. If the intent is to be transparent and honest, then the record should be very straightforward.