Undercover Divorce Tactics to Watch Out For
Most divorce settlements and proceedings are done fairly and equitably. However, we have all heard divorce nightmares and horror stories that plague our conscience as we enter the same process. When hiring the best divorce attorney, you should be well prepared to deal with some of the underhanded tactics employed by less scrupulous spouses and attorneys.
It is a conflict of interest
One of the newer ways to hinder a spouse in their search for a top-tier divorce attorney in their area is simply to first provide a conflict of interest for these top-tier attorneys. The way the process works is that an enterprising spouse finds all the best divorce attorneys in her area and sets up short meetings to discuss her case under the guise of interviewing them and possibly retaining them as her attorney. Most of the time, they have already made a mental choice of their attorney, but by meeting with these other attorneys and discussing the relevant details about your case, it creates a conflict of interest for the other partner when trying to retain the same attorneys. This way, his partner can relegate him to hiring the less than best divorce attorneys in his area. It is one of the most compelling arguments for hiring a lawyer as soon as possible to make sure he can get the lawyer he wants.
hide assets
Most of the time, the spouse who earns more money in the marriage tries to hide assets during the divorce process. It happens more often than is reported and can have a very damaging effect on the settlement you may receive for alimony and child support. A qualified divorce team will be able to conduct a lifestyle analysis that provides a clear financial picture of your lifestyle while married. On the other hand, you should be on the lookout for telltale signs that your spouse may be hiding assets. Most of the time, assets are transferred to other family members to hide their value during the divorce process. This transfer can be of real estate, antiques, coins, real estate, stocks, and investments. Other tricks include overpaying the IRS, underreporting income, deferring salary, commission, or bonuses, and hiding valuables or cash in safe deposit boxes or elsewhere.
Pressure or Delay
Two tactics often used to speed up the process or to slow it down, but both with the intention of forcing an unfavorable settlement include pressuring you to settle early or, alternatively, stopping and delaying the entire process. Pressing you to settle down quickly is often a cover-up for a possible financial windfall in the works for your spouse. This could be a large bonus, commission, or salary increase that will have a significant impact on alimony and child support, so the spouse needs a quick settlement to avoid an additional payment. Alternatively, the stall-and-delay tactic can be used to prolong proceedings to increase legal costs and exhaust child support in order to secure a cheaper settlement.
Hiring the best divorce attorney in your area as quickly as possible will help you avoid these tactics and get a settlement that is fair and equitable.