What Are the Most Common Signs of Financial Fraud In a Divorce?
Posted June 2nd, 2023.
Categories: Blog.
Both partners need to be transparent about their finances when they decide to get divorced. If one spouse decides to hide assets or lie about how much money they have, then they are committing financial fraud and making it difficult for the court to come to a fair arrangement. If you suspect that your spouse is lying about their finances, you need to do your best to figure out what is going on. Doing that on your own can be tough, but family lawyer Mark S. Guralnick may be able to help you.
What Are Some Signs of Financial Fraud to Look Out For?
You should think carefully about how your spouse behaved concerning finances during your marriage and after the divorce papers were filed. Some red flags to look out for include:
They were controlling over money: Did your spouse question everything that you spent? Did they always need to be the final say on any matters involving money? This need to stay completely in control could be a sign that they are committing financial fraud of some kind.
The presence of accounts you did not know about: You may not share every account with your spouse, but you should have some familiarity with the accounts that they do have. The presence of credit cards, banking, or retirement accounts that you did not know about should be a red flag.
Your spouse has a bad habit: A drug or gambling habit can cause financial trouble. This could encourage someone to commit financial fraud in an attempt to keep more of their own assets in a divorce.
How Can a Divorce Attorney Help Me?
Your lawyer can do a few things to help you root out potential financial fraud from your spouse. First of all, they have more experience with this than you do. They may be able to spot signs of trouble that you did not notice.
Your lawyer can also request financial documents during the discovery process and closely examine them to find more red flags. Having a lawyer can just make it easier to get a more complete financial picture from your spouse.
Do I Need a Forensic Accountant to Find Financial Fraud?
Sometimes a person can still suspect financial fraud after going through the discovery process and allowing their divorce attorney to go over everything. If you still think that something is off and your spouse continues to throw up red flags, talking to a forensic accountant might be the logical next step.
A forensic accountant can go over your and your spouse’s finances with a fine-toothed comb. They can sometimes find hidden assets, which can even the playing field and make negotiations over things like child support, alimony, and property distribution fairer.
Schedule a Consultation With Our Legal Team
If you suspect financial fraud in your divorce, you need an experienced legal professional on your side. Contact the Law Offices of Mark S. Guralnick and schedule a consultation with our team. We can help you fight to keep everything fair and equitable in your divorce proceedings.
