Florida is an “equitable distribution” state for divorce, which means courts will divide property in a way it believes to be fair, but does not always equate to a perfectly even split. For this reason, sometimes spouses will try to hide assets to keep from splitting them with their ex.
If you believe your soon-to-be ex-spouse is doing this, you can uncover those assets in the divorce process. But how can you know for sure they are hiding assets without making a blanketed accusation?
Here are 9 common signs your ex may be hiding something.
- Financial accounting programs (i.e. QuickBooks, Pastel, etc.) have mysteriously disappeared from the computer
- They suddenly befriend a financial advisor
- Multiple new personal or business bank statements appear in your ex’s name
- Bank statements appear in the name of a child or friend
- They make unusually expensive purchases of items that can later be sold again or returned
- They make cash withdrawals on debit cards that don’t show up on statements
- They suffer a mysterious decrease in income, but their expenses remain the same
- They pressure you to sign legal documents quickly without thorough study
- They start complaining about debt or their lack of funds to attempt to avoid suspicion, or they suddenly become vague or secretive about finances
There are many tactics an ex could employ, but fishing them out is possible. If you have a reason to suspect your soon-to-be ex-spouse is using any of the above strategies to hide assets during the divorce, talk to someone who can help you uncover them.
