During a divorce in South Carolina, your estranged spouse might try to hide their assets from you. If you don’t catch it until it’s too late, you might not get all the assets you’re entitled to. A forensic accountant could discover hidden assets and help you with other aspects of the divorce process.
What does a forensic accountant do?
A forensic accountant offers general accounting services during your divorce, and they’re specially trained to find hidden assets in your marriage. A forensic accountant could audit your estranged spouse’s finances to locate any discrepancies that hint at false bank statements, hidden assets, unreported income and much more. Sometimes, a spouse is not just trying to hide assets from their partner; they might be committing a serious crime like tax evasion.
If you get full custody of your child and are awarded child support, a forensic accountant could examine your estranged spouse’s finances and make sure they’re reporting their income accurately. Some spouses lie about their income to reduce their child support payments.
Additionally, your forensic accountant could review expenses that your spouse accrued during your divorce. You’re allowed to buy necessities, but if your spouse withdrew tens of thousands of dollars to buy a new car, your attorney might use that against them in court.
What about regular divorce services?
Your forensic accountant doesn’t just find hidden assets; they could also help you with making a budget, gathering financial documents and reviewing your income. When you get divorced, you’ll need to gather as much information as you can to paint a clear picture of your financial situation. Otherwise, your former spouse could accuse you of hiding assets even if you left something out accidentally.
Getting a clear picture of your finances may help ensure that you get a fair amount of marital assets. You may want to ask your divorce attorney if they recommend working with a particular forensic accountant.