During a divorce, not everyone plays by the rules; some try to outsmart the system with clever, albeit questionable, tactics. This can be especially true when it comes to dividing assets.
If you have substantial, complex properties and worry that your soon-to-be-ex-spouse might not play fair during your divorce, hidden assets can be a very real risk.
Where do I look?
Someone can try to conceal money or property in several ways to shield it from division. Some places to start looking include:
- Cryptocurrency caches: A spouse might covertly accumulate cryptocurrency, which can be difficult to trace without knowledge of private keys or wallets.
- Artful dodging: Investing in art or collectibles can be a way to store value. These items can be undervalued or overlooked during asset assessment.
- Business buffering: Overpaying on business expenses or creating fake debt to a company can temporarily reduce visible assets.
- Delayed gratification: Asking an employer to delay bonuses, promotions or raises until after the divorce is final can keep these assets off the books.
- Gifts that keep on giving: Temporarily gifting assets to friends or family with the understanding that they will return property after the divorce can hide wealth from division.
- The offshore account odyssey: Setting up accounts in foreign banks or investments in international ventures can complicate the discovery process.
- Charitable cheating: Making large donations to a charity or foundation, with the intent of having the funds funneled back post-divorce, can temporarily park assets.
- Expense inflation: Inflating personal or business expenses gives the impression of lower net worth.
- Safe deposit box stash: Using a safe deposit box to store cash or valuables keeps them out of sight and off the asset list, especially if you don’t know the box exists.
- The phantom employee: Paying a salary to a non-existent employee or for services not rendered, with the intention of voiding the checks or reclaiming the money later, is another covert method.
Divorce is tough enough without adding a layer of deceit that could backfire spectacularly. It’s crucial to remember that these tactics are not just unfair; they are illegal and can lead to penalties far worse than a simple loss of assets.
Honesty and working with legal and financial professionals to conduct thorough investigations can be crucial in securing the fair settlement you deserve.
