AnnKay, I can’t stress enough that you need to protect yourself immediately.
My WW took $30k on the “advice” of her lawyer out of our savings the day she left. On our enquiry, her lawyer said it was to cover her in case I didn’t meet my child support obligations. Within two days of separation I instigated a child support assessment and started paying it. Since I was immediately meeting my child support obligations, we wrote demanding the stolen money taken for that purpose be returned.
Her lawyer never replied to that letter and the money disappeared. It was gone in a matter of months, into his own pocket. He told her to take the money for “child support”, but he really took it so that he could quickly siphon it away writing BS letters, being adversarial and knowing he’d get paid for it.
That sounds awful, Kind18. My H only took a couple of thousand, but the fact that he did not consult or even tell me makes it feel like a million times more. Did you ever get any of the money back or at least have a confirmation of where it went?
Originally Posted by Kind18
Until you file for financial separation your husband can take and spend as much as he wants with no obligation for it to be accounted for. It’s only once you file for financial separation that a line is drawn in the sand (it’s called “discovery” in Australia) and from that point on he is accountable for cash and assets.
I can’t stress this enough - get yourself a lawyer and protect your finances.
Thank you for this. I am guessing at this point similar rules apply the other way around as well, so that if I take any money or move assets around I do not need to account for it?
