It is important to stay alert for underhand financial maneuvers in a divorce. This does not mean you should assume your spouse is up to no good and it certainly does not mean you should raise the subject unless you have concrete evidence.
What it does mean is that you should stay financially aware. You need to inform yourself about all the assets you have and not walk blindly through the divorce assuming that your spouse will be fair about things.
Squandering assets so you can’t have them
Dissipating assets means squandering them, spending inappropriately or giving things away. An example could be using the funds of the marital account to take a group of friends golfing for the weekend. Or going to a high-end restaurant alone and ordering the most expensive bottle of wine on the menu. Typically they are actions that your spouse would not take if they had to consult you first because they know you would stop them.
Why do people dissipate assets?
Some spouses squander assets as a form of rebellion – to rail against the financial restrictions they consider you imposed on them during the marriage. Others do it for vengeance – they want to punish you for filing for divorce by ensuring you will get less money. For others it is about power – they hope to leave you so financially destitute that you will come crawling back to them.
Whatever the reason, it is not acceptable behavior in a divorce and a court may act to compensate you if it occurred. Getting legal help to uncover any financial infidelity and produce proof is wise if you have reason to believe your spouse is dissipating assets.
