You have built an enviable life with your partner within the duration of your marriage. If the marriage comes to an end, however, it's only fair that you get a fair share of your hard-earned assets. But, it is not always the case. Your ex may have ulterior motives when it comes to property division.

Hiding assets during the divorce may prevent you from getting your rightful share of the marital estate. Given that you will be on your own after the divorce is finalized, you need to be on the lookout to ensure that you protect your interests.

Protecting your interests

A spouse may start hiding assets long before the divorce proceedings begin.

As soon as the divorce talk begins, your ex-spouse may start taking action towards keeping some of the marital assets. Therefore, you need to be ahead of the situation and ensure you do not lose out on your share of the marital estate.

It means that you should be on the lookout for all assets acquired during your marriage, especially in the days leading to the divorce. Any changes in ownership or a sudden increase in your ex-spouse's business expenses could be a red flag, and you need to look at all transactions carefully.

What do you need to do?

Hiding assets is a highly discouraged behavior in divorce courts. If your ex-spouse is found to have hidden marital assets, the court may transfer ownership of the said assets to you. Additionally, your ex-spouse could be held to be in contempt of court for lying under oath, which may come with additional penalties.

In the end, however, all you are after is getting your fair share of the marital estate. Therefore, if you discover hidden assets, you need to bring them to the court's attention and take action to ensure that you are not shortchanged.