Spouses who are incredibly angry or vengeful in a divorce can make some upsetting decisions that create an enormous amount of stress for the other spouse. Some will drag out the legal process; others might make nasty comments on social media.
When someone’s statements or behaviors cross a line and become fraudulent or threatening, it may be necessary to work with certain professionals. For instance, you may need a forensic expert if your ex is attempting to deceive the courts.
Financial fraud
Parties may try to hide, undervalue or otherwise misrepresent their assets during a divorce. Often, they do so to prevent the other person from getting a fair share of the marital assets or because they want to preserve their financial future.
However, concealing assets when you are divorcing is illegal. Unfortunately, it can be very complicated to determine whether a person is hiding property. To do so, a forensic accountant can be a valuable party to consult.
As this Forbes article discusses, and forensic accountant analyzes complex financial records, looks for signs of unethical practices and assesses valuations. Through these efforts, it is possible to identify suspicious or fraudulent information before it results in an unfair settlement.
False allegations
In some particularly contentious battles, one person might make false allegations against the other party. They could accuse someone of domestic violence or claim they have engaged in criminal or embarrassing behaviors.
These types of allegations can destroy a person’s reputation and compromise parenting rights. Thus, parties may work with a forensic expert to accomplish various goals.
Some examples of how a forensic expert can help include situations where a person is falsifying digital communications, altering photos or videos or voice memos. There are various ways – both simplistic and highly sophisticated – that a person might manipulate data to make it appears as though someone said or did something they did not. A forensic expert can determine whether the material has been distorted.
When divorces are particularly combative, some spouses go to great lengths to hurt each other. To protect yourself against these efforts, you and your attorney can consult forensic experts and other professionals. Doing so can ensure you get a fair settlement and preserve your reputation and your relationship with your children.