Is the other spouse being totally honest about assets? Are there hidden assets that should be available for division as marital property? If you believe your spouse or partner is hiding assets in order to avoid dividing those assets under California community property laws, you need an attorney who has asset-tracing experience. At the Law Offices of Victoria S. Linder in Sacramento, California, we have extensive resources for conducting property searches.
While some parties preparing for a divorce may hide assets, others may hide assets inadvertently and forget to list them. Sometimes when spouses or partners have commingled separate property assets, they may find it difficult to determine what belongs to whom. Our attorneys, working with CPAs and forensic accountants, can help. Some specific issues in this area include:
Hidden assets: When a spouse or partner is determined to hide significant assets, asset tracing can be challenging — unless one knows where to look. Our lawyers have the resources and experience to trace even carefully hidden assets. A fair and equitable division of marital or partnership property requires full disclosure.
Commingling of assets: When a married or registered couple commingles separate property — such as commingled stock portfolios or assets being used to enhance real estate that is separate property — it can be complicated to trace the asset to determine who owns what.
Inadvertent hidden assets: In some cases, you or your spouse or partner may simply have forgotten to list an asset or may not know that the asset is community property — for example, a life insurance policy or a savings account.
Deliberately hiding assets can result in losing the asset altogether. Your lawyer can help you make a complete list of your own assets so that you are in full compliance with the law. Likewise, our law firm will help you trace assets your spouse or partner may be hiding.