Under New Jersey law, each spouse is entitled to all the information he or she needs to make informed decisions during the divorce process. This includes information regarding all assets and income. As a result, if you think your spouse may be hiding assets or income, there are legal remedies available, and you should talk to a New Jersey divorce attorney right away to find out what options are available.
3 Ways to Uncover Hidden Assets or Income During the Divorce Process
There are three main ways that divorcing spouses can uncover hidden assets or income during a divorce. While you may be tempted to do some investigating on your own, this is not necessarily the best idea. In fact, it could lead to unnecessary problems. Instead, you will want to hire a divorce attorney to help you pursue one or more of the following:
1. Requesting Your Spouses Records Through Formal Legal Methods
At the beginning of the divorce process, both spouses must tell one another about their assets and income. If you believe your spouse may have left out information from his or her initial disclosures, you can request additional information through the “discovery” process. Discovery is an essential part of the divorce process that allows spouses to submit legally-enforceable requests for information to one another.
2. Hiring a Private Investigator or Forensic Accountant
In addition to (or instead of) seeking information about your spouse’s assets or income through discovery, another option is to hire a private investigator or forensic accountant. A private investigator can seek to uncover secret bank accounts, purchases, and other hidden assets, while a forensic accountant can review your spouse’s financial records to determine whether any assets or income are being sent to outside parties.
3. Seeking Legal Remedies in Court
If necessary, your New Jersey divorce attorney can seek a court order forcing your spouse to reveal any hidden assets or income. Often, requests for court orders will follow other efforts. For example, if your spouse’s discovery responses suggest that information is being withheld, or if your forensic accountant finds incomplete records or questionable transactions, your attorney may be able to use this to obtain a court order making that spouse share that information.
When Should You Get Help to Uncover Hidden Assets or Income?
If you have any reason to suspect that your spouse may be attempting to hide assets or income, you should discuss your situation with a divorce attorney promptly. In some cases, it will be necessary to act quickly before hidden assets or income get used, sold, or transferred to third parties or offshore accounts. For instance, our divorce attorney will use various tools, such as issuing subpoenas to banks, brokers, and others. In any case, taking appropriate legal action right away will help lessen the risk of further unnecessary complications, and it will help to resolve your divorce as efficiently as possible.
Discuss Your Options with a New Jersey Divorce Attorney in Confidence
Are you concerned that your spouse may be hiding assets or income? If so, we encourage you to speak with one of our experienced New Jersey divorce attorneys. To schedule a confidential consultation as soon as possible, call 877-435-6371 or tell us how we can help online now.
