Learn How to Deal with a Spouse Who Lies About Assets During Divorce Proceedings
Posted on: January 9, 2020
Divorce is hard enough without having to deal with the fact that your spouse may be lying about your assets. At Law Office of Michael L. Fell we know how helpless this can make a person feel but the good news is that there is help out there for you. Keep reading to find out what you can do if your spouse lies about assets during your divorce, then contact us at (949) 585-9055 for a family law consultation.
How to Deal with a Spouse Who Lies About an Asset Existing
First, let us cover how you can deal with a spouse who says that a certain asset does not exist. These are items that are easy to lie about. For example it would be hard to lie about owning a home, while you may have a harder time determining that they had an additional bank account.
If you suspect they have assets they are not disclosing, your divorce attorney will ask about it during formal discovery. This is different than you just asking them yourself because direct questions will be under oath. Your attorney will also take a close look at all financial records. No matter how well hidden, an asset that produces income will create a taxable event. We can look at past tax returns for evidence of this.
If you believe that your spouse has done a very thorough job of hiding assets then you can hire a private investigator who knows how to complete an asset search. This investigator can also talk to witnesses who may have information about potential hidden assets. In short, there are numerous steps we can take to find hidden assets during the divorce process.
How to Deal with a Spouse Who Lies about the Value of Assets
There is one other main way that spouses can lie about assets: Admitting to them but lying about how much they are worth. This is actually one of the most common lies in divorce proceedings. They may claim that their business, art collection, coin collection, etc., is worth far less than it is. Once again, this doesn’t generally apply to larger assets like homes because that will have been appraised.
If you believe that your spouse is lying about the value of an asset then you can get it appraised yourself. You can also hire a forensic accountant who can value things like businesses. Make sure you hire someone who is specifically experienced in appraising the specific type of asset.
These are just a few ways that people can lie during divorce proceedings. The good news is that you do not need to be aware of all of them – you simply need an attorney who knows what to look for. You have found that in Law Office of Michael L. Fell. Call now at (949) 585-9055 to request a free family law consultation.
