You Know Something’s Off
The numbers don’t add up.
Your spouse says there’s no money for a new roof, but somehow they’re buying new tools or going on fishing trips. Paychecks get deposited, but the bank account stays low. Bills are late when you know the income should cover everything.
Maybe divorce is coming. Maybe it’s already filed. And suddenly your spouse is vague about finances. Defensive when you ask questions. “Don’t worry about it” has become their favorite phrase.
You’re not paranoid. Your gut is right.
Your spouse is hiding money. And you need to find it before the divorce settlement gets finalized and you lose what’s rightfully yours.
I’m a Houston private investigator who’s uncovered millions in hidden assets over the years. Secret accounts, cash stashes, cryptocurrency, offshore accounts, fake businesses—I’ve seen every hiding place.
Here’s what you need to know about finding money your spouse is hiding.
Why They’re Doing This
Let me be straight: when a spouse is hiding money, it’s usually because they want to keep as much as possible in the divorce.
They saw divorce coming before you did. Started hiding money months or years ago. By the time you file, they’ve already stashed away hundreds of thousands.
Or they want to control you. Hiding money gives them power. If you don’t know what exists, you can’t fight for it.
Or they’re funding an affair. Hotels, gifts, secret phones, trips. Finding where your spouse is hiding money often reveals the affair too.
According to the National Endowment for Financial Education, nearly 40% of people admit to financial infidelity. When divorce looms, that number skyrockets.
Signs Your Spouse Is Hiding Money
You’re already seeing some of these. That’s why you’re here.
They suddenly want complete control of finances. You used to share responsibilities. Now they handle everything and get defensive when you ask questions.
They hide mail or get a PO box. Bank statements disappear. Everything goes paperless suddenly. They password-protect computers they used to leave open.
Income doesn’t match lifestyle. Their salary should mean you’re comfortable, but there’s never money. Paychecks deposit but accounts stay low. They claim business is bad but still spend freely on themselves.
Large cash withdrawals with vague explanations. ATM withdrawals in odd locations. Purchases you don’t recognize. Money transfers to accounts you’ve never heard of.
They suddenly “lost their job” right before divorce. Or became “self-employed.” Or claim their business income “dropped dramatically.” Convenient timing.
Mail from banks you don’t recognize. References to accounts you didn’t know existed. Meetings with financial advisors they won’t let you attend.
These are red flags your spouse is hiding money. Trust what you’re seeing.
Where They’re Hiding It
Over the years, I’ve found spouses hiding money in creative and obvious places.
Bank Accounts You Don’t Know About
The simplest way: opening accounts in their name only at banks you don’t use. They funnel money there slowly. Small transfers that don’t trigger attention.
We find these through subpoenas, credit reports, tax returns mentioning interest, paper trails.
Physical Cash
Old school but effective. Thousands hidden in places you’d never look.
Safe deposit box you don’t know about. Hidden safe in garage. Taped inside books. Buried in toolboxes. At their parents’ house. In their office. Inside their car’s spare tire well.
I’ve found $50,000 cash in a golf bag. $80,000 inside hollowed-out books. $30,000 in a safe deposit box opened right before divorce.
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin, Ethereum, whatever’s trendy. They move money there thinking you’ll never find it.
We find crypto through computer hard drives, emails mentioning Coinbase or Kraken, credit card charges to exchanges, apps on their phone.
Overpaying Taxes or Credit Cards
Sneaky tactic: intentionally overpay, then get big refunds after divorce. IRS owes them $15,000? That refund comes after the divorce is final.
Delaying Bonuses
If they control their compensation, they delay bonuses until after divorce. “No bonus this year, honey.” Six months later? $100,000 bonus not included in settlement.
Fake Debt to Family
“I borrowed $50,000 from my brother, so we need to pay that back.” Settlement pays brother. Brother gives money back after divorce.
Fake loans moving marital assets to family.
Underreporting Business Income
Business owners have countless ways of hiding money. Cash transactions off the books. Inflated expenses. Fake vendors. Personal expenses as business expenses.
We bring in forensic accountants to find the real income.
Offshore Accounts
The sophisticated move. Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Panama. Hard to trace, hard to access, hard to prove.
We find these through wire transfers, foreign bank statements in mail, travel patterns, lifestyle that doesn’t match income.
Check out our asset search services for how we uncover hidden money in divorce cases.
How We Find What They’re Hiding
We use techniques you don’t have access to when searching for spouse hiding money.
Financial forensics: We examine every transaction on bank statements, tax returns, credit cards for unusual patterns. We look for unreported income, suspicious transfers, hidden accounts.
Database access: Public records showing property, businesses, court records. Financial databases with account information. Employment records showing real compensation.
Surveillance: We watch them visit banks you didn’t know about, meet with financial advisors, access safe deposit boxes.
Subpoenas and discovery: Working with your attorney, we subpoena records from banks, employers, investment firms. We get court orders for business records.
Forensic computer analysis: We examine computers and phones. Email accounts revealing hidden accounts. Cloud storage with financial documents. Apps connected to secret accounts.
Following the lifestyle: If they claim to be broke but live wealthy, money exists somewhere. We document the gap between claimed income and actual spending.
According to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, forensic accounting and investigation have become essential in divorces because spouses hiding money has become so sophisticated.
Real Case: We Found $890,000 He Was Hiding
Woman came to us during divorce. Husband claimed they only had $200,000 in marital assets total. House equity, retirement accounts, that’s it.
But she knew he’d made six figures for twenty years. They should have had much more.
What we found:
Secret credit union account with $180,000. He’d diverted $3,000 monthly there for five years.
Cryptocurrency wallet with $95,000 in Bitcoin bought over three years with cash from “business expenses.”
Safe deposit box across town with $45,000 cash he’d been stashing for years.
His business had underreported income by $150,000 per year for four years. Our forensic accountant found the real numbers. That meant $600,000 more in marital assets.
Business ownership in a side company worth $120,000 he’d transferred to his brother “on paper” but still controlled.
Retirement account at previous employer worth $50,000 he “forgot” to mention.
Total hidden: $890,000 beyond the $200,000 he’d disclosed.
The judge was furious. Wife got 70% of all assets instead of 50% as punishment. She walked away with $763,000 instead of the $100,000 she would have gotten.
Our investigation cost: $25,000 for comprehensive asset search.
Her additional recovery: $663,000 because we found what he was hiding.
That’s why you hire professionals when your spouse is hiding money.
What You Can Do Right Now
If you suspect your spouse is hiding money, start documenting before they hide it better.
Copy every financial document while you still have access. Bank statements, tax returns, credit cards, investment accounts, business records, pay stubs, loan applications. Your spouse will shut down your access once divorce is filed.
Monitor current activity. Watch checking for unusual transactions. Track credit cards for suspicious charges. Note cash withdrawals. Document when bills don’t get paid despite income.
Check public records. Property records, business registrations, court records, vehicle registrations. All public information you can access.
Look for physical evidence. Mail from unknown banks. Hidden financial documents. Safe deposit keys. USB drives. Notes about accounts.
Don’t confront your spouse if you find evidence. Just document it and tell your attorney.
Talk to your attorney about discovery, subpoenas, forensic accountants.
Hire a private investigator. We find what you can’t find alone. We have database access, investigative techniques, forensic resources, legal tools.
Don’t try this alone. Spouses hiding money are sophisticated. You need professionals.
Legal Consequences When We Catch Them
Courts don’t like spouses hiding money.
What happens:
Unequal asset division: Instead of 50/50, judge awards you more. Sometimes 60/40, 70/30, even 80/20 when spouse is caught hiding money.
Attorney fees: Judge orders spouse hiding money to pay your legal costs for finding hidden assets.
Contempt of court: Lying under oath about assets can mean jail time.
Criminal fraud charges: Rarely prosecuted but possible in extreme cases.
Impact on other issues: Judge assumes they’re lying about everything. Affects custody, support, all aspects of divorce.
When we catch them, the penalties are severe.
Common Mistakes People Make
They confront too early. “I know you’re hiding money!” Now your spouse knows you’re looking and hides it better.
They illegally access accounts. Hacking email or computers makes evidence inadmissible and gets you in legal trouble.
They give up too easily. “I checked our bank and saw nothing.” Spouse hiding money isn’t keeping it where you can easily find it.
They don’t preserve evidence properly. Photos aren’t enough. You need originals or certified copies for court.
They hide assets themselves in retaliation. Now both lose credibility with the judge.
They wait too long to hire professionals. By then, spouse has moved money to harder-to-find places.
What It Costs (And Why It’s Worth It)
Investigation to find spouse hiding money isn’t free. But it pays for itself.
Typical costs:
Basic asset search: $2,000-$5,000 for database searches and preliminary investigation.
Comprehensive investigation: $10,000-$25,000 for full forensic investigation including surveillance and accounting.
Complex cases with businesses: $25,000-$50,000+ when spouse is hiding money through multiple layers.
Is it worth it?
In our case above, we charged $25,000 and found $890,000. Client recovered an additional $663,000.
Even if we’d charged $50,000, she’d still be ahead $613,000.
When your spouse is hiding money, professional investigation pays for itself many times over.
Don’t Let Them Get Away With It
Look, I know this is infuriating. Divorce is already emotional and stressful. Now your spouse is lying and hiding money that’s rightfully half yours.
You’re angry. You feel betrayed. You’re worried about your financial future.
But here’s what you need to do: don’t get mad, get evidence.
Don’t confront them. Don’t make threats. Don’t alert them you’re looking.
Instead, document everything quietly. Copy records. Note suspicious activity. Watch for red flags.
Then call professionals who find spouses hiding money for a living. Call your attorney. Call us.
We’ll find what they’re hiding. We’ll document it. We’ll help you get what’s legally yours.
Your spouse is hiding money to screw you over. Don’t let them get away with it.
We Can Help
At Terrance Private Investigator & Associates, we specialize in finding hidden assets in divorce cases throughout Houston and Texas.
We’ve uncovered millions in hidden assets. Secret accounts. Cryptocurrency. Offshore accounts. Cash stashes. Business fraud. Every creative way spouses hide money.
We work with your divorce attorney for legal, comprehensive investigations. We access databases you can’t reach. We bring in forensic accountants. We document everything for court.
If your spouse is hiding money, we’ll find it.
Call Now: 832-404-3400
Email: getanswers@piterrance.com
Visit: www.piterrance.com
Confidential consultations. Professional asset searches. Results that protect your financial future.
Because when your spouse is hiding money, you need someone who knows exactly where to look.
