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Note that information given in this section cannot take the place of independent, legal or financial divorce advice. Please read our disclaimer.

"I am worried that my spouse will try to hide assets from me. How can I get my fair share of his business and other assets?"

Florida is an equitable-distribution state. The presumption is that assets and liabilities that have been acquired during the marriage should be split evenly (50-50). Under normal circumstances, that would be true. In some circumstances, if there has been any waste of marital assets or increases in marital debt due to the actions of one spouse, the distribution could be other than an even split.

You would be smart to hire the services of a good investigative forensic accountant to trace all the assets and value them at petition date. The forensic accountant would also do a lifestyle analysis and trace all monies, sale of assets, and the occurrence of liabilities to assure you that all of the assets and liabilities have been accounted for and then can be equitably divided fairly.

Bruce M. Berger is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Valuation Analyst practicing in Fort Lauderdale. He is the managing partner and owner of Bruce M. Berger and Company. He also co-runs a mediation practice. He can be reached at (954) 779-7191. View his Divorce Magazine profile online.

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