Asset Location in Divorce Proceedings: Working Towards a Fair Resolution

Divorce proceedings are emotionally challenging, even in cases where there is an amicable separation.  However, when a split between parties turns into an effort to control or belittle the other person, these proceedings can move beyond contentious and into the realm of subterfuge.

At Radius Investigations, we are often asked to help out in cases where divorce settlements risk becoming unfair financially, as this can be a result of assets that have been hidden before the legal intervention to allocate them.  Sadly, many divorce cases do involve situations where one party has:

• Moved funds to less accessible accounts
• Liquidated assets in order to disperse
• Gifted funds or property to family members so that ownership of assets is concealed.

The result is that when lawyers, judges, and/or mediators begin considering the division of these assets, they will not have a complete or accurate impression of the financials in question.

Retaining Diplomacy

Unfortunately, many divorces will proceed with inadequate information regarding the distribution of marital assets.  When a person hires a Private Investigator, however, they may be able to track down these assets so that the division in a divorce is both fair and will cover quality of life for each spouse and for any minor children that are involved in these proceedings.

Private Investigators have the ability to:

• Go through financial records and track the flow of money
• Uncover liquidation that occurred just prior to the divorce
• Follow up on hidden accounts for assets
• Go through data retrieval and electronic records that can show evidence of these funds
• Conduct field investigation to determine a party’s lifestyle, which can be used to extrapolate income, or to verify employment.

This information can be vital to achieving a settlement that is truly fair, and can also maintain the diplomacy of proceedings through the presentation of factual proof regarding hidden assets that should be considered in the legal determination.