Divorce can feel like trying to solve a puzzle when you do not have the picture on the box. In this conversation, family law attorney Steve Altishin talks with CPA and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst Ryan Finley about forensic accounting and litigation support in divorce. The goal is not just “catching fraud,” but making the financial picture understandable so a fair settlement is possible. Keywords that matter here include forensic accounting in divorce, divorce financial analysis, litigation support, marital balance sheet, discovery, and hidden assets. When one spouse handled the money and the other handled the home and kids, clarity reduces panic and helps decision-making.
Ryan explains forensic accounting as the work of simplifying complex finances while staying brutally precise. That can mean translating bonus plans, stock or investment activity, and cash flow into plain language a client and attorney can use. In the discovery process, a forensic accountant can help organize financial disclosures, compare what is claimed against what is documented, and build a clean set of schedules like assets and debts, income, and monthly living expenses. When the numbers reconcile, that can also be valuable because it reduces mistrust and prevents both sides from chasing theories that are not supported by evidence.
A major technique is “follow the money.” Ryan describes loading years of bank statements, credit card records, and investment statements into software, consolidating accounts, and tracking transfers from paycheck to spending to investing. Color-coding and categorizing larger transactions can reveal where cash goes and which transactions do not have an explanation. That is how hidden accounts get found, such as when a spouse changes financial advisors and quietly creates a new account the other spouse never sees. It is also how tax returns become evidence: a sudden spike in taxes paid may point to tactics like overpaying the IRS before divorce and later filing an amended return to pull cash back after separation.
The episode also digs into dissipation, a key divorce law concept in many states: spending marital money for non-marital purposes. Forensic accounting can connect the dots across multiple cards and accounts to show patterns tied to trips, gifts, or an affair, then quantify the amount to potentially add back to the marital estate. Ryan shares how real estate and business cases can be especially challenging, from missing parcels in a partnership to suspicious documents with inconsistent dates. Trusts and self-employed income add another layer, since personal expenses can be run through a company, revenue can be underreported, and cash can be diverted off-book. The practical takeaway is simple: good forensic work does not just find problems, it creates a defensible financial story so negotiations, mediation, or trial can focus on the right questions and real numbers.
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