You chose to get a divorce recently, and you know that you need to detail your assets for your attorney. Your spouse already left the home, so you’re not sure of what he took with him. You need to make sure you remember as much as you can in case he’s not honest, which you think you may have to worry about.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make sure you find as many assets as possible. While it’s not always easy to find everything, working with a professional can help you find out new ways to look for missing or hidden assets. Before that, take a look at these ideas to find assets you may not know about.
1. Get your credit reports
The first thing to do is to get your credit report and your spouse’s credit report. A copy of a credit report shows many things including debts, credit cards and mortgages that you may not be aware of. A credit report may reveal assets you forgot about or that you never knew about.
2. Match up income tax returns
Another thing you can do that will help you decide if there are assets missing is to look at your tax returns. Tax returns have to be as accurate as possible. Even if your spouse lies to you, he or she may not want to lie to the government. Check the tax return and see if it lines up with what you know.
3. Look at lifestyle
Finally, look at the lifestyle your spouse is living away from you. Is he or she buying lots of expensive things but claiming not to have any money? Check social media, in particular, for signs that your spouse isn’t being honest about what he or she possesses. It’s also a good place to locate missing assets that your spouse may have taken a photo of or tried to sell without your knowing it.
Missing or hidden assets aren’t something that everyone deals with during a divorce, but there’s a possibility that you may need to find them. With these tips, you can look for missing and hidden assets. Remember, there are professionals you can hire to look for missing assets, but by taking some time to do a thorough search, you can help find some of them on your own. Your spouse needs to be honest with the court, and getting caught not reporting all of his assets may make the court look more favorably upon you.
