In divorce, you need allies. They can be trusted friends, mentors and a few important professionals. Besides an attorney, an important one – in certain situations – just may be a forensic accountant who will help you uncover the concealed assets that your spouse attempts to hide from you.
A forensic accountant is clever, seasoned and digs deep into the reams of documents, attempting to unveil the secrets your spouse tried to hide. This professional likely knows what your spouse thinks and has seen just about every trick related to financial wrongdoing.
Unreported income and the purchase of luxury goods
Forensics is the science of investigating money and the people behind that money. Forensic accountants rely on certain methodologies, analysis and testing in performing their work while sifting through documents.
When investigating hidden assets in divorce cases, a forensic accountant will review documents such as tax returns and decipher your spouse’s spending habits. This professional may find:
- Unreported income
- Bogus debts that really are overpayments to creditors or friends and family
- Shell companies specifically created to hide assets
- Payroll fraud initiated by business owners
- The cash acquisitions of luxurious items, possibly for a paramour
Working with you and your attorney, a forensic accountant likely will unveil every layer of untruths and discrepancies to find the assets that really belong to you.
The scrutiny of a forensic accountant
A spouse can be devious. The seeds of mistrust may have been planted and spread during your marriage and continued after the two of you separated. Hiding marital assets represents one of those forms of deceit. However, under the scrutiny of a seasoned forensic accountant, those hidden assets likely will no longer be concealed.
