Feeling as if your spouse is hiding money or assets from you can prove quite unnerving, and so, too, can losing trust in the person with whom you have shared a bed for some time now. Unfortunately, both situations are common among married couples, about half of whom ultimately end up parting ways.
Often, people who become suspicious of their spouse’s actions or motives have just cause in thinking the way that they do. Therefore, if you get the feeling your spouse may be trying to stockpile or conceal assets from you ahead of an impending divorce, you would be ill-advised to simply let it slide. Doing so has the potential to make you lose big when it comes time to go your separate ways, so if you have suspicions about your partner, do your research to get to the bottom of things. Additionally, recognize that many husbands and wives who wish to hide assets from their partners do so by:
Creating separate bank accounts
While opening up a separate, secret bank account and moving small, potentially unnoticeable amounts of money to it over time is one of the oldest tricks in the book, but that does not mean it is not still commonplace today. Your spouse may open his or her own bank account at a separate financial institution, and he or she may go so far as to have all correspondence regarding that account sent to work, rather than home.
Intentionally delaying payments or promotions
Many spouses also utilize their businesses or employers when trying to conceal assets from their husbands or wives. For example, if your spouse is anticipating a promotion or raise, he or she may ask to delay the promotion or raise until your divorce becomes final. As a small business owner, your spouse may also simply hold off on sending substantial invoices to clients until they know the money received will not have to be split between you.
These are just a couple of the many tactics husbands and wives sometimes use in an effort to achieve a more favorable financial outcome during divorce.