In most marriages, you have one spouse who is in charge of most of the financial information. If you are not the one who works with money, you might be at a disadvantage when it comes to dividing assets.
Asset division is an important aspect of most divorces. However, in order to have a chance at getting the money you deserve, you need to know that it exists in the first place.
Discovery and the divorce process
Near the beginning of your divorce, you would probably exchange a great deal of information with your spouse and the opposing legal team. This is the discovery process, and it forms the foundation of an agreement in which everybody gets a fair proportion of the marital estate.
Unfortunately, people might simply lie or withhold documents during discovery. In fact, half-truths and withheld information are more the rules during an acrimonious divorce than they are the exceptions.
This climate could be especially troubling if you do not know how your family handles finances. You might not know where tax returns, bank statements or other evidence of assets are. Therefore, your spouse might be in a position to hide assets effectively.
Acting before divorce
One common way to combat hidden assets during divorce is to investigate before serving papers — or even before signaling the intent to divorce. In the event that is not possible, you might find that the services of an accountant or similar professional could help lead you to any hidden assets to which you might have a valid claim.