Law Offices of Amar S. Weisman, LLC
Towson Family Attorneys
Dishonesty and deception are often hallmarks of a deteriorating marriage. The loss of trust that follows uncovered lies can be the last straw that leads to divorce. But the filing of a petition for dissolution of marriage doesn’t mean that the lies will stop.
During a Maryland divorce proceeding, there is ample motivation for individuals to be less than honest about the state of their finances in an effort to reduce their spousal maintenance or child support obligations or tilt property division decisions in their favor. Your Spouse Can Try to Hide, But Your Divorce Lawyer Can Seek Even though Maryland law requires divorcing couples to make full, complete, and sworn disclosures to each other about their respective assets and liabilities, there are many ways to manipulate those disclosures by engaging in creative accounting and concealing assets. When successful, these attempts to deceive the other spouse – and the court – can result in financial arrangements that are inherently unfair, based as they are on a false picture of the parties’ finances. In fact, the more complex a couple’s finances are, the easier it can be to play games with the numbers and keep assets hidden – unless someone has the experience and determination to expose such fraud. Working with accountants, investigators, and other professionals, a savvy and tenacious divorce attorney can uncover these efforts, hold the other party to account, and ensure that their client’s rights are protected. Disclosures Are Just the Start of the Inquiry As noted, most Maryland couples going through a divorce will be required to complete a document called a Long Form Financial Statement containing extremely detailed information about their income, assets, and liabilities. Once your lawyer receives the statement from your spouse, that is the start – not the end – of the inquiry. The disclosures shouldn’t be taken at face value. Rather, your lawyer should continue digging until he or she has determined through their independent investigation that the disclosures are complete and accurate. If your lawyer discovers hidden assets, your spouse’s deception will be brought to the court’s attention, the concealed assets will be included in the support, maintenance, and property allocations made in your divorce, and your spouse will be subject to penalties which may include paying some of your attorneys’ fees. What to Look For There are any number of ways a determined and creative spouse can try to conceal assets. Some of the more common forms of financial deceit during a Maryland divorce include:
If your marriage is ending, the trust you once shared with your spouse has likely been broken. Placing trust in your spouse now, during the heat of a divorce proceeding which will impact you and your children for years and decades to come, is not a prudent strategy. An experienced Baltimore and Towson divorce lawyer will be able to prevent or expose any nefarious efforts by your soon-to-be-former spouse to deprive you of assets or financial support that is rightfully yours.
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