When people are getting divorced, they are sometimes tempted to try to hide assets. There are many different ways that they will do this, including simply putting money into a secret bank account or a safe deposit box. Some people will transfer money to friends or into a business that they own.
But you may find out that your spouse has simply been putting off some of their earnings. Maybe you’re heading toward divorce and they have declined a promotion that would’ve come with a raise. Perhaps they work on commission, but they’ve asked their boss to hold some of those commissions back and pay them at a later date. Or maybe they’ve just been offered a bonus at work because the company had a good year, but they don’t want to take it until later in the next calendar year.
Why are they doing this?
As you may have guessed, the reason that they’re doing this is to attempt to take the money off of the books. They have to divide all of the money they earned with you during the marriage, so they simply want to earn as little as possible until your divorce is finalized.
After the divorce is done, they will then go back and obtain these assets, having avoided splitting them with you. This can deprive you of some of the assets that you otherwise would have received.
What can you do?
If you believe this has happened and you think it violates your rights by keeping you from marital assets, it’s important to know what legal steps you can take. You need to know all of your options and how to fight for what you truly deserve in your divorce.
