Divorcing is difficult. In addition to feeling loss and sadness, the process of divorce can be burdensome and overwhelming. Things can go to another level when your spouse is hiding money.

It’s bad enough that you have to walk away from your marriage with half of the assets and less money to pay your bills. Add to that a dishonest spouse trying to cheat you other of some assets…. and the whole thing feels very unfair.

If you have concerns that your spouse is hiding money, the first thing you can do is look for red flags of fraud. These are signs that something is wrong, and they go beyond just having a bad feeling. There are lots of potential red flag, but a few of the more common things that might suggest someone is hiding money could include:

• • Hidden or altered documents
  • Secretive behavior
  • Changes in spending habits
  • Withholding financial information from you
  • Unexplained transactions
  • Hidden accounts

If you see a few red flags of fraud, you’ll need to take the next step to figure out whether there is any proof of fraud. Uncovering proof of financial fraud by your spouse will involve gathering financial documents like bank statements, credit card statements, and tax returns. You should go through your statements line-by-line to see if there are any unusual transactions. Things that could indicate fraud might include:

• Missing paycheck deposits
• Large cash withdrawals
• Unusual expenditures

Going through all the statements and looking at individual transactions might sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. One option is to hire a forensic accountant to do this work for you. Alternatively, you could use a tool like the Divorce Money Guide to walk you through the process on your own. The guide gives you an easy ten-step process for gathering, organizing, and analyzing your financial documents to look for evidence of financial fraud.

An important part of getting your fair share of the money and assets in your divorce is knowing your finances inside and out. Digging into the numbers can pay off in a big way when it comes to negotiating your settlement.