With the exception of those who have thorough prenuptial agreements, every divorcing couple in Pennsylvania will need to divide their property at the end of their marriage. Some people resent their ex so much that they lie during property division and hide assets.
They may move property out of the marital home or create a secret bank account without telling their spouse or disclosing the property to the Pennsylvania family courts. Why do some people go to such trouble just to hide property from their spouse?
Your marital property is all subject to division
The reason that your ex may want to hide what they truly own from you is that they don’t want to share it with you in the divorce. The equitable distribution rules used in Pennsylvania property division proceedings try to create fair solutions. When one spouse and the courts do not have a full understanding of the property included in the marital estate, the resulting property division proceedings will be less fair than they otherwise could be.
You may need to go over your financial records or even bring in a professional, such as a forensic accountant, to figure out the true value of your marital estate and track down property or income that your ex has tried to hide from you. Only when you have a full and accurate understanding of the marital estate can you then ask for your fair share of it in your divorce proceeding.
Learning about what happens in a Pennsylvania divorce will help you better navigate the complex process of ending your marriage.
