When you read about divorcing spouses hiding assets in a divorce, you might assume that they always do so away from the house. This might include an offshore or out-of-state bank account, a drawer in their place of work or their parents’ home.
While people certainly do use such places to hide assets, in many cases, the assets are hidden within the home. In fact, they might even have been there for much of the marriage, right underneath their spouse’s nose.
In items around the house
Artwork, vintage vehicles, collections or antiques are sometimes used to hide assets. The art might be on the wall, the vehicle in the garage and the antique might be something you sit on or handle regularly. Therefore, it is not hiding in the traditional sense. Rather, when it comes to declaring the value of these things in the divorce, your spouse might lie.
If you have no clue how much those things are worth, they might place a far lower value than is true on items they aim to keep in the divorce. Conversely, they might tell you that something they know you want to keep is worth more than it actually is, to enable them to falsely inflate your share of the assets, leaving them a greater share of the rest of the wealth.
Under the bed
Most people do not keep money under the bed anymore, at least not if they are trying to hide it from their spouse. They do, however, keep money around the house in other places – for example, a safe in the garage or a tin beneath a floorboard. They might have been stashing away money in such places throughout the marriage. If you have not found out about it so far, they may decide there is no need to mention it now.
Getting your fair share of property in a divorce can be challenging, even when your spouse discloses everything. Legal guidance can help, especially if you believe your spouse has not been entirely honest in their disclosure.