Your marriage may have been like many others in which one person predominantly handled the finances. You probably didn’t have much of an issue with this during your marriage since it took a burden off you. Besides, you felt as though your spouse was simply better with money than you were.
Now that you face a divorce, you may discover that your spouse took advantage of your trust. You may suspect that he or she hid things from you when it came to the finances. Now, you need help in locating those hidden assets in order to help ensure that you receive a fair and equitable share of the marital estate.
What to look for
Several avenues of investigation could provide you with the clues you need to locate hidden assets. They include the following:
- Delving into the financial records of a closely held business could reveal suspicious activity. People often use businesses to hide assets from a spouse when a divorce is on the horizon.
- Looking at how an individual lives both during the marriage and after the separation could reveal the fact that sustaining a certain lifestyle could not be possible with the disclosed resources. If so, the investigation may then progress to locating the hidden resources.
- A thorough review of the disclosed financial resources may provide clues and paths to locating other assets that your spouse failed to identify. Any questionable financial activity would more than likely require further review.
- Specialized software can reconstruct computer files, images and other information that your spouse may have attempted to erase in order to hide assets from you in anticipation of a divorce.
Forensic accountants conduct these analyses for many people just like you. If you suspect that your spouse is trying to keep you from receiving your fair share of the marital property, you need all of the help you can get.
Presenting the results of a formal investigation to a Florida court could make all the difference. You may also need an examination of the financial and tax consequences associated with the property discovered. Even though the court needs to know of its existence, that doesn’t mean that you should shoulder the burdens of the property on your own.
The most important aspect of a financial investigation during a divorce is the information it provides. You deserve the opportunity to analyze all of the information and make informed decisions regarding how you would like to proceed. If your spouse attempts to hide assets from you, he or she stole that opportunity, and you may need to take extra steps in order to get it back.