Falsifying Divorce Documents: How Hidden Information Can Affect You

 Posted on May 15,2022 in Illinois Divorce

Lies during the divorce process can seriously impact an individual's future and the outcome of their divorce. Exaggerating or falsifying legal documents during your divorce is a crime, leading to severe repercussions. Divorce attorneys can hire forensic accountants and other skilled specialists to look into a bank account and determine if there are hidden assets or falsified financial information. Here are common ways divorce documents are falsified and how hidden information can affect the outcome of your divorce.

Common Ways Divorce Documents are Falsified 

Perjury is commonly portrayed as lying during testimony on the witness stand, but there are other ways to perjure yourself in the court of law. Another common form of perjury occurs through falsifying court documents. Partners often lie in divorce cases to withhold shared assets or hide finances. In the case of divorce, perjury can be split into two main categories — direct and indirect acts. Direct acts of perjury include an individual explicitly lying. For example, a spouse claims they do not own any property besides the marital home, but there is a deed for another property with their name on it. Indirect perjury includes not sharing the entire truth. This form of perjury can look like undervaluing an asset to hide money. For example, a spouse values their business at $100,000, but an appraisal shows the company was worth $200,000.

Hiding assets is common for spouses to falsify information for personal gain in a divorce. Individuals may hide assets by:

• Giving assets to a third party to hide 
• Undervaluing property or assets
• Hiding financial assets in a separate bank account, such as PayPal
• Delaying income deposits

If a spouse is suspicious that their partner has hidden financial assets throughout the divorce process, that individual can request a court hearing to uncover the truth. Their lawyer may hire a forensic accountant who can review bank statements or valued assets to reveal hidden information. 

The Legal Repercussions

Hiding, falsifying, or exaggerating information during a divorce is against the law. If the court determines that an individual has falsified documents during their case, the state of Illinois directs the court to sanction significant penalties against that individual. These repercussions are determined by the court and can look like this:

• The offender paying all court costs
• The offender paying the other party's court fees
• Returning dissipated assets to the other party 

Ask a St. Charles Divorce Attorney 

If you suspect your spouse has hidden assets or is falsifying information during your divorce, there are ways you can get to the bottom of the situation. Our skilled St. Charles divorce attorneys at Weiler & Associates, Inc. can help represent you. Don't hesitate to contact us by calling 630-331-9110 to meet with our office. 

Sources:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=6000000&SeqEnd=8300000 

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/legisnet91/summary/910SB0761.html