Posts tagged with "best divorce attorney westport"

Common Ways Spouses Attempt to Hide Assets Upon Divorce

Leave a reply

Divorce is likely one of the worst times of a person’s life, or best if you can’t wait to get out of a miserable relationship. But one thing is for sure, divorces get messy. Too often they turn into drawn-out court battles, custody disputes, or worst of all, one spouse hiding assets from the other. We have all heard the phrases “I was cleaned out after my divorce,” or “my spouse took everything” in the divorce, and although it’s far from the legal truth, too many people believe this and try to protect their assets by hiding them.

Not only is hiding assets from someone you previously loved immoral, but it is also highly illegal. Even so, discovering hidden assets is something our divorce group, specifically our high-asset divorce group, does regularly. Here are just some of the ways in which we have discovered individuals attempting to hide assets from their spouses. This list is meant to aid spouses from being outed in divorce, not aid the illegal hiding of such assets.

Attempts to Hide Assets in a Divorce

1. Transfer assets to a separate account. This involves taking money from a joint bank and brokerage accounts and transferring it to an account only in one spouses name.

2. Transfer assets to a friend. In a joint bank or brokerage account, both parties have full control over the assets.
Some people systematically transfer cash and/or investments to an account their friend holds, and then once the divorce is finalized, that friend transfers it back to them.

3. Overpay the Internal Revenue Service. Some individuals who know they are going to file for divorce next year instruct the IRS to use this year’s refund for next year’s tax. Once the divorce is final, they receive a large overpayment from IRS that they use against future tax.

4. Take cash withdrawals on debit cards. Some people use debit cards for every day purchases. When you use a debit card, you are always asked if you would like cash back. In this instance, the individuals continually answer yes to that question and withdraw small sums of money multiple times over a long period of time. Here, the actions are hidden because the total charge shows as groceries, clothes, movies, etc.

5. Turn down promotions and raises. Some people tell their boss to delay any promotions (if one is coming) and set any raises/bonuses aside until after it was finalized.

6. Accrue commissions. After closing deals at work, some spouses request that their commission is delayed for tax purposes, i.e. hiding it from their spouse in divorce.

If your spouse owns their own business, they could also be using some of the below techniques to hide income from you:

8. Not invoice clients. It wouldn’t be difficult to delay invoicing clients until after the divorce. Although accounts receivables would be accrued assets, this is easier to hide than cold hard cash.

9. Create fake expenses. Creating fake expenses, paying fake vendors, and adding family or friends to the payroll is a common way for individuals to hide money through their business.

10. Go on a shopping spree. This is self explanatory.

Credit: Asset hiding techniques to divorcenet.com

–

With decades of experience in both the New York and Connecticut courts, one of our attorneys can help you with any divorce or family law matter you may have. If you think your spouse is hiding assets, or you are worried they might try to when you ask for a divorce, contact Joseph Maya and the other experienced attorneys at Maya Murphy, P.C. at (203) 221-3100 or JMaya@Mayalaw.com to schedule a free initial consultation.

Can a Connecticut Court Enforce or Modify My Divorce Judgment if it Was Issued in Another State?

Leave a reply

Under Connecticut law, any party to a matrimonial action brought in another state can file a certified copy of such a “foreign” state’s divorce judgment in Connecticut Superior Court.  So long as the foreign judgment is final and has not been altered, suspended, or vacated, it will become a judgment of the Connecticut court and – with one important distinction noted below – will be treated in the same manner as if the divorce had originally been granted in Connecticut.

Filing a Foreign Judgement in Connecticut

The party who files the foreign judgment in Connecticut must notify his or her former spouse by sending the relevant papers to the spouse’s last known address by registered mail within five (5) days of filing, and through personal service by a Connecticut State Marshal.  However, the filing party may not move the Connecticut court to enforce or modify the judgment until twenty (20) days after these papers have been served.  Once the twenty-day period has expired, either party can then file post-judgment motions in the Connecticut Superior Courts.

One distinction between divorce judgments originally obtained in Connecticut and foreign judgments later filed there should be noted.  With such foreign judgments, Connecticut law mandates that courts apply the substantive law of the state in which the judgment was originally obtained.  Accordingly, a Connecticut court reviewing a Florida judgment in response to a request to modify its child support provisions, for example, would apply Florida law governing the modification of child support.

In such cases, there may be material differences between Connecticut law and the law of the state in which original judgment was issued, which could affect, for example, the relief available or the burden of proof a party must meet to obtain the requested relief, among other things.  It is therefore advisable to consult with a Connecticut matrimonial attorney who also is familiar with the relevant foreign state’s family laws before filing a foreign judgment in Connecticut.

If you have questions regarding divorce law or any family law matter, contact Joseph Maya and the other experienced attorneys at Maya Murphy, P.C. at 203-221-3100 or by email at JMaya@MayaLaw.com.