The procedures involved in a divorce can be complicated. And one of them is property division, which leads to most conflicts between soon-to-be ex-spouses. Your spouse may hide assets to prevent them from being subjected to division, which is unfair. Thus, it’s crucial to pay attention to the documents they submit.
Here is how you can tell your spouse is hiding assets:
Differences in your lists
You and your spouse should list your marital assets. Your lists should be similar – any difference should alarm you. However, they may have forgotten a property or don’t believe it qualifies as a marital one. In such an instance, you can solve this by obtaining the relevant documents and information.
However, if they insist their list is correct and become defensive or completely shut down, they may be hiding assets.
A significant change in behavior
If your spouse is suddenly withdrawing large amounts of money, paying off loans, buying people expensive gifts or donating enormous amounts to charity, they may be hiding assets.
They may transfer the money they withdraw to secretive or offshore accounts or can get the expensive gifts back to resell them and so on. Thus, if you notice any substantial change, you should be alarmed.
Secretive or overly assertive about financial documents
Your soon-to-be ex-spouse making it difficult for you to access financial documents may be a sign that they are hiding assets. Them asking you to sign documents immediately or pressuring you to make certain moves should also be concerning.
If you suspect your spouse is hiding assets, you should inform the court to investigate the case. It will also help to consider legal guidance to get a fair outcome.