Server's Corner

What to Do When You Suspect Your Spouse Is Hiding Assets?

Divorce is never easy and what can make it even more difficult is when you suspect your spouse of lying. Specifically, when it comes to finances. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a spouse to attempt to hide assets during a divorce. They may not even think that much about it. Afterall, many spouses tell little fibs and make little omissions about their purchases or earnings during a marriage. Little lies about how much money you brought in on your paycheck or failing to tell a spouse about a purchase you made is pretty common practice in some marriages. So, would it really be a big deal if you did something similar during a divorce?

The answer is, yes, it is a big deal to hide assets in any way during a divorce. This is because before you enter into divorce proceedings, both parties sign a Financial Affidavit. This document places all parties under oath to truthfully disclose all shared finances. That includes properties, income, expenses, and other assets. And if you are not asked about a certain asset, that doesn’t make it fair game. You are compelled by the legal document you signed to disclose all information regarding your finances whether asked about a specific thing or not. If you fail to provide the information or attempt to lie or hide assets during this process, you will be penalized with perjury.

If you are caught lying under oath, what are the potential consequences? Unsurprisingly, you could face some seriously harsh penalties. On a more favorable end of the spectrum, the judge may simply make the lying spouse responsible for handling all court fees. On the other end of the spectrum, you are looking at incarceration. If you felt like your marriage was a prison, it is nothing compared to the real thing. The wisest thing is to not try to hide assets at all.

Oftentimes in cases where you have hidden assets, you have what is known as an “out-spouse”. The out spouse is the one that did not handle the bulk or any of the finances. Because they do not know the intricacies of what comes in and out of the house in terms of money, the spouse that did handle the financials can more easily lie and cheat the out spouse out of what is rightfully theirs. Most often we find that the out spouse is the wife.

Hiding assets in a divorce can seriously hurt people and set them up for hardship. If you suspect that your spouse is lying about finances, contact Roland Investigations today. We will conduct a thorough financial investigation and uncover anything there is to be uncovered. We will make sure that you get what you are entitled to.

By Roland Investigations 1-16-2023