How to trace ex's finances

[sdlm]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA (may be all states)

I reside in California and am at the final stage of my divorce. We are at disagreement about the financial settlement. Mediation talks broken down after a day at the mediators office. Now waiting for the trial date.

On the mediation talks, I learned that, the retirement fund of about 5 year's worth (not a a chump change) under my ex's name, have been liquidated and there is nothing to show for $50K+ taken out of this account that I can tell. Also, doing some forensic investigation on my ex's bank statements, I see a lot of cash withdrawals of the highest allowable daily limit of the ATM machines, in the last six months of out marriage, which are looking kind of suspicious.

Of course, the bank accounts disclosed in the divorce filing, has no trace of any such money. And as far as I know it may be socked away in a safe deposit box somewhere.

My question is, is there anything I can legally do, to search for any accounts that my ex has in any financial institution in the USA. I just need the Fin. Ins. names where there is an account tied to SSN of my ex, which are still open or closed in the last 10 years ? Also I'd like to know if there is a safe deposit box somewhere ?

Is there anything I can do on my own to discover this information ? My court setting conference is about 2 months away and the court will be at least another 2-3 months from that date. I just want to do as much as I can w/o help of my attorney to the tune of $250/hr. And if I can not uncover this information, how much would it cost me to hire a PI or equivalent to unearth such accounts/boxes ? I know I have to subpoena the FIs in question to get the details of such accounts' activity, but that is the next step. I just need to know if I am being blindsided and my ex socked money away, in preparation to this divorce.

Thanks for your answers

 

[vwzero]

I am in the same situation

I am currently in Kansas City Mo, but my divorce is going on in San Mateo County in Califonia. I am traveling back and forth as needed as a lot of friends still live there.

My soon to be ex-husband has taken a lot of money in the past 2 years out of community property accounts, but under solely his name. He says he spent it all but there is nothing to show for close to 60 thousand dollars he pulled out. I know he doesn't gamble or do drugs. This money went somewhere but I don't know where. I thought about hiring a private investigator but I am not sure if they can help me. Do you know if any specialized investigators for such forensic accounting purpose ?

 

[nextwife]

Was your and his combined incomes sufficient to support your debts and lifestyle? Might he have pulled funds from savings to cover debts and living expenses- maybe unwilling to discuss any drops in income he experienced, thinking they'd be temporary??

 

[ecmst12]

Don't hijack other people's threads. Start your own thread if you have a question.

 

[Bali Hai]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA (may be all states)

I reside in California and am at the final stage of my divorce. We are at disagreement about the financial settlement. Mediation talks broken down after a day at the mediators office. Now waiting for the trial date.

On the mediation talks, I learned that, the retirement fund of about 5 year's worth (not a a chump change) under my ex's name, have been liquidated and there is nothing to show for $50K+ taken out of this account that I can tell. Also, doing some forensic investigation on my ex's bank statements, I see a lot of cash withdrawals of the highest allowable daily limit of the ATM machines, in the last six months of out marriage, which are looking kind of suspicious.

Of course, the bank accounts disclosed in the divorce filing, has no trace of any such money. And as far as I know it may be socked away in a safe deposit box somewhere.

My question is, is there anything I can legally do, to search for any accounts that my ex has in any financial institution in the USA. I just need the Fin. Ins. names where there is an account tied to SSN of my ex, which are still open or closed in the last 10 years ?

Also I'd like to know if there is a safe deposit box somewhere ?

Is there anything I can do on my own to discover this information ? My court setting conference is about 2 months away and the court will be at least another 2-3 months from that date. I just want to do as much as I can w/o help of my attorney to the tune of $250/hr. And if I can not uncover this information, how much would it cost me to hire a PI or equivalent to unearth such accounts/boxes ? I know I have to subpoena the FIs in question to get the details of such accounts' activity, but that is the next step. I just need to know if I am being blindsided and my ex socked money away, in preparation to this divorce.

Thanks for your answers

If you believe that the amount you spend "investigating" will produce sufficient gains, then go for it.

My ex suspected that I had hidden money and assets and cost us both more attorney fees for nothing. What was dicovered is that she had secretly cashed in her 401k and the judge hung her with her own rope.

 

[Ohiogal]

An easier method than tracking the cash would be a claim for dissipation of marital assets and asking for your portion of the assets your spouse dissipated, rather than trying to track it down.

 

[Bali Hai]

An easier method than tracking the cash would be a claim for dissipation of marital assets and asking for your portion of the assets your spouse dissipated, rather than trying to track it down.

At this point the only possible claim might be the retirement fund depending on when the distribution was taken and what it was used for. The rest of her suspicions amount to a witch hunt.

 

[cbg]

Still looking for where the OP indicated gender. Granted the hijacker mentioned an ex-husband (though in my state even that doesn't mean anything for certain) but the OP appears to have gone out of his/her way to avoid mentioning either their own or their ex's gender.

But Bali just assumes it was a woman.

 

[Bali Hai]

Still looking for where the OP indicated gender. Granted the hijacker mentioned an ex-husband (though in my state even that doesn't mean anything for certain) but the OP appears to have gone out of his/her way to avoid mentioning either their own or their ex's gender.

But Bali just assumes it was a woman.

You're right, the hijacker confused me. In OP's post, gender was not mentioned at all.

Thank you for pointing that out.