A divorce is more than a financial burden – it’s also difficult emotionally. No matter how the relationship ended, or how the relationship began, it’s important to never let your guard down during divorce proceedings. At Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell we’ve seen every situation you can imagine, including some situations in which our clients sabotaged their own divorce proceedings. Read on to learn about three ways a person can do that and then reach out to us at 909-482-1422 to avoid this faux pas that can cost you dearly.
- Hiding their assets
- Hiding business assets
- Making false claims of abuse
Regardless of the fact that it’s both illegal and unethical, hiding contacts is not uncommon in a divorce. In some cases, people simply don’t care that they may face legal consequences if they sign a false financial statement. Consider one woman who won more than $1 million in a lottery. She filed for divorce from her husband less than two weeks later and didn’t disclose her lottery innings. When the judge discovered the omission he awarded the entirety of the winnings to the husband.
When a person is thinking about filing for divorce for some time, they may take efforts months before they do to try and hide business assets. This is why their spouse – and their spouse’s divorce attorney – must be extra diligent. Common tactics to hide business assets include running up business expenses to reduce profits, or adding new personnel to tie up funds. The best way your attorney can combat this is to review business profits not just over the months or year before the divorce, but for several years before it.
Unfortunately, sometimes spouses do file abuse claims. They may use these claims to try and get the upper hand not only in the divorce but in custody battles as well. In some cases, the parent will say that they’ve been abused but in others they’ll claim that their spouse has abused their child. If you believe that your spouse may do this, for any reason, then you should take preventative measures. It’s unfortunate that merely making a claim can be enough to keep a person from their child.
If a spouse tries to get a restraining order, they will typically be issued one on at least a temporary basis. This is designed to give the courts time to hear evidence while still keeping victims safe. Unfortunately, when it’s a false claim, it can do damage to the alleged abuser. In the past, courts didn’t take many cases of abuse seriously and some of them are now erring on the other side of the line by taking every abuse accuser at their word.
The best thing you can do for your case
At Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell, we recommend that you’re open land honest with your attorney about everything. This is the best way to get the process over quickly, correctly, and without lasting issues. If you’re ready to get the process started, then we invite you to call us at 909-482-1422 to set up a consultation.
