Divorce
Searching for Hidden Assets
There are a number of ways in which a spouse may hide assets, undervaluing or disguising them. Some of these include:
-Income that is unreported on tax returns and financial statements.
-Cash in the form of travelers' checks, sometimes these can be found by traces bank accounts and withdrawals
-A custodial account set up in the name of a child, using the child's Social Security number.
-Investment in certificate "bearer" municipal bonds or Series EE Savings Bonds. These re not registered with the IRS and are being phased out by the government .
-Collusion with an employer to delay bonuses, stock options, or raises until a time when the asset or income would be considered separate property.
-Debt repayment to a friend for a phony debt.
-Paying for gifts, travel, rent, or tuition for college or classes for a girlfriend or boyfriend.
-Retirement accounts
-Salary payments to a nonexistent employee, with checks that will be voided after the divorce.
-Money paid from the business to someone close, for example, a father, mother, girlfriend, or boyfriend, for services that were never actually rendered (the money is given back to your spouse after the divorce is final).
-A delay in signing long-term business contracts until after the divorce. Although this may seem like smart planning, if the intent is to lower the value of the business it is considered hiding assets.
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