Steps to Take if Your Spouse is Hiding Assets from You

Going through a divorce can be a very emotionally draining experience as you try to find the best way to move on with your life. One of the most difficult aspects of the proceedings is getting a fair settlement, which can be even more difficult if your spouse is hiding assets. In this guide, you will learn about the signs that your spouse is hiding assets during a divorce, what steps you should take to uncover those assets, and when you should consult a Las Vegas Divorce Attorney. So, the first thing that you should learn about is the signs that a partner could be hiding assets from you. 

Signs That Your Spouse is Hiding Assets

It is, unfortunately, common for individuals to try to hide their assets during a divorce, which could stop you from getting a fair settlement. Some of these suspicious signs can include:

Changes in Spending Habits

One of the first signs that an individual is possibly trying to hide assets is that their spending habits will change. For instance, they will contribute less to the home, or they might start getting cheaper alternatives to items that they would originally get. This could also include them making extravagant purchases or suddenly looking to pay off their debts fast. A good family law attorney will tell you that the latter can become suspicious if they previously were in no hurry to pay them off. 

Sudden Deposits and Withdrawals 

Look out for any sudden deposits into other accounts or big withdrawals, especially after they discuss the possibility of divorce. It would help if you also looked out for transfers to and from accounts, which could be evidence that they are trying to move their money around. 

Missing Financial Documents

It is also possible that they could be hiding certain financial documents as to make sure that they don’t become part of the proceedings. Partners will especially do this if they’re looking to take advantage of their partner’s lack of knowledge about financial documents. 

Suspicious Answers About Finances

Following your first discussion about divorce with your partner, you might see them respond vaguely when talking about general finances. Along with being vague, they might also be dismissive or refuse to talk about it. Divorce Lawyers will tell you that this is a telltale sign that your partner could be trying to hide assets from you. You should also be more aware of what types of finances they specifically avoid talking about.

What Steps Should You Take When Your Spouse Is Hiding Assets

Now that you have a better understanding of the signs that you should look out for when your spouse is trying to hide finances, it’s time to talk about what you should do about it. More specifically, how can you stop them from trying to hold finances away from you that are rightfully yours?

Educate Yourself On Your Home’s Finances

The first step that you can take to ensure that your spouse doesn’t hide assets is to educate yourself on your home’s finances. Understand how much you spend on various parts of your home by keeping track of all the relevant documentation. Not only should you know where your spouse keeps the relevant financial documents, but you should also know what they put into it. 

Keeping track of these documents also means that you will be better equipped to notice any discrepancies in the finances. This can make it easier to tell if they’re trying to hide the assets, which can help you move on to the second step.

Consult a Professional 

A good Las Vegas divorce lawyer will know how spouses usually try to hide assets during a divorce. Therefore, discussing any suspicious activity that you see with them will give you more insight into your situation. They can also help you pin down other types of assets that can be easier to hide during a trial and how you can find information to prove it. 

Proving that one partner has deliberately tried to hide assets from a spouse can give you more leverage in your case. Therefore, a judge could agree to give you a better settlement to compensate for the emotional distress that it caused. 

The Discovery Process 

As you gather evidence with the help of your family law lawyers, you will need to get help from the legal process to uncover hidden assets. If your partner is refusing to give you access to certain financial information, then you can use subpoenas and other legal tools to get access to them. 

If you found some evidence that your spouse is hiding assets, then you can also request foresnic accounting to audit them and find out more information in case of hidden assets. Finally, you will have to depose your partner and other third parties associated with them, such as accountants.  

Discuss With Your Divorce Lawyer How To Protect Your Interests 

Finally, you want to discuss your case thoroughly with your divorce lawyer to make sure that they give you proper guidance on how to protect your interests further. Along with helping you track down the different assets that your partner could be hiding, they will also explain to you what your rights are and what you should get under current laws. 

Furthermore, you should also discuss a potential restraining order from your partner to stop them from possibly tampering with more assets. After you can successfully get them to stop, you should also discuss how to get better compensation for the emotional distress that your partner has caused. 

Conclusion 

When going through a divorce, the last thing that you want to do is have to worry about your spouse possibly hiding assets from you. However, by keeping track of your home’s expenses as well as the documents in your home, you can tell if there is some sort of suspicious activity. And after talking to your family attorney, you can also plan out how to gather evidence and the best way to present it to court.