Going through a divorce can be a complicated process. Working out maintenance and child visitation, how to divide a business, debt, etc. can all add to the stress of your divorce. If a couple’s finances are particularly complex, it may require a forensic accountant. A forensic accountant for a divorce is someone who details all the debts, assets, and other financial aspects in the divorce and presents that information in a courtroom. Divorce attorneys can help with general financial aspects of a divorce, but for more complex matters it may be necessary to work with a forensic accountant to ensure the finances are taken care of properly.

How Can Forensic Accounting Help Me?

Forensic accountants are most often used in high net worth divorce cases but can be used by anybody if they are needed. Some of the ways a forensic accountant can help your divorce case by searching to see if there are hidden assets, evaluating the long-term impact of the divorce on finances, or determining the value of assets and evaluating expenses. To do so they will examine any deeds, stocks, investments, bank statements, etc. and compile everything together.

The forensic accountant can be especially helpful if you believe your spouse is hiding assets. For example, if they bought some cryptocurrency in the past and have not disclosed it to you or the court, that could be very valuable and will need to be considered in the division of assets in your case. If your divorce is amicable, you probably do not need to worry about that issue as much, but it is still beneficial to you to make sure everything is accounted for in your case. Often forensic accountants are used for business valuation. Business finances and personal finances for business owners are often intermingled in complex ways, and the forensic accountant will determine where assets should be placed for divorce considerations.

If you are going through a divorce, your time in the courtroom is crucial in setting the tone of your case. Making a mistake in the courtroom can negatively affect your divorce and lead to a less advantageous settlement for you. Taking time to prepare before you are actually present in the courtroom will make it much less likely you make a mistake, so do your research before your time in court. These tips will help you make fewer mistakes and ensure your courtroom time goes smoothly.

Emotions and Body Language

While you are present in the courtroom, your actions will be noted. Rolling your eyes, laughing, angry outbursts, etc. will all influence the court’s perception of you and seem disrespectful. Even if you are not saying anything, body language is a good indicator of how you are feeling. If you let your body language show your emotions, even if you are extremely emotional, it will show the court that you cannot keep yourself in check, which will not be beneficial to your case.

Be Respectful

Being respectful to everyone in the courtroom is crucial to influencing the judge’s perception of you. Being respectful to the judge is the first step, but being respectful to everyone else present in the courtroom is the second step. If your spouse’s lawyer is asking you questions and you get frustrated, answering the questions in a respectful manner will show that you can handle yourself in stressful situations. Even if you feel you are not being respected, staying respectful to everyone is a much better way to make a positive impression in court.

Each person has been happy or sad because of the weather and the changing of seasons. Each season brings different challenges with it in all aspects of life, such as bundling up for the winter or trying to stay cool in the summer. Could it be possible that divorce rates are affected by the seasons as well? Most people do not generally think of divorce as impacted by the seasons, and there are numerous reasons why a couple undertakes the divorce process. A study done at the University of Washington by Professor Julie Brines examined divorce rates to see if they were affected by the seasons at all.

The Results

The study found there are patterns where divorce rates spike at certain times of the year. The data collected over a 14 year period shows that the divorce rates peaked in March and August. March is usually right around winter is considered to end, and August often when it starts to cool down. Divorce rates spiking in March and August seems to indicate that divorce rates are affected by the seasons, but also by holidays.

There were over 2 million marriages across the United States in 2016. There were also over 800,000 divorces in 2016. Divorces happen all across the country for a variety of different reasons. Each couple has their own issues, which may lead to one person feeling the need to file for divorce. Overwhelmingly, the woman in the relationship is the one who files for divorce. In a study done by sociologist Michael Rosenfeld at Stanford University, it was found that 69% of divorces were initiated by women.

Reasons

Why would women be the first to file for divorce in so many cases? Some of the possible reasons are listed below:

In Illinois, both parents have a legal obligation to provide financial support for their child. All child-related legal matters are made in the child’s best interests. State law provides a calculator that accounts for many factors, such as parents’ income, when determining child support. Once a judge has issued a final child support order, permanent child support payments will begin. You may be wondering how long these child supports payments will continue. Generally, child support payments are required until the child turns 18. There are important exceptions to this rule, however, which may apply to your situation.

Who Pays Child Support?

Usually, the non-custodial parent pays child support to the custodial parent. The custodial parent is with whom the child primarily lives. The exact amount of these payments varies case by case, based on a number of factors. In some cases, the child support payments will need to change as major life circumstances change (the child develops extraordinary medical needs; a parent loses a job; etc.).