It used to be that a wife need only look for lipstick on her husband's collar to see evidence that her marriage was headed for divorce court. But today, it isn't so easy to tell what a husband may be planning. But Web sites have been created to help your husband deceive you and put him in a better position to pay less child support and less spousal support. He may have put a plan into motion between six months and a year before actually filing and having you served with divorce papers. Here are several tricky methods that Web sites are advising soon-to-be ex-husbands to do before they file for divorce:
Make a Plan:
Husbands are advised by several Web sites to start planning for divorce well in advance of filing. Most seem to recommend six months or more.
Stop Working Overtime:
Yes, you read that correctly. The best advice out there for the husband planning to ditch his wife and children is to work as little as possible for at least six months prior to the filing date. The advisor explains that the court looks at the husband's income as of the filing date to determine the amount of child support and alimony he will be ordered to pay.
Lower Your Wife's and Children's Standard of Living:
The theory here is that the courts look to the wife's current lifestyle and standard of living the husband has provided to determine alimony and the same with the children, in order to maintain their lifestyle. What these sites are recommending that men do, it to make some subtle changes around the home and in spending that will lower the amount of money spent on a wife and the children.
Asset Shifting:
For wives who are not involved in the day-to-day management of the family finances, an unscrupulous husband has the opportunity to hide assets, sell off assets or otherwise attempt to keep marital assets out of the court's notice. Wives should be aware of any changes in ownership of cars, boats, or other assets.
Reduce the Value of a Small Business:
Does your husband own a small business that was created during the marriage? If so, has he changed his work habits? Is he working less? Earning less money? If so, he may be contemplating divorce. Web sites are quick to business owners to slow down the work to lower the business's value prior to filing. Women should watch for these subtle clues and be aware of how this will affect them in court.
Limit the Choices of Attorneys for Wives:
Did you know your husband is also being treated to advice on how to prevent his wife - that's you - from hiring the best, most aggressive and most successful divorce attorney in town? It's amazing the information that exists to help your husband divorce you when, statistically speaking, divorced men recover faster financially from divorce than do women. So, be aware. Start looking for an attorney early on - even after your first inkling of a problem. Just because you contact an attorney or even sit down to meet with them, does not mean you've committed to divorcing your husband. But it is best to be informed and prepared.
Suddenly, He Takes an Interest in Parenting:
Yes, it's sad but true. Your husband will learn soon enough that he will lower or eliminate his child support liability if he is awarded joint or full custody. In order to make such a claim being in the best interest of the children, he needs to show that he is involved in their lives in a "joint parenting" capacity. If Dad is suddenly interesting to schlepping the kids to school, offering to make their lunches and signs up to help out in the classroom, you can bet that he's looking to lower his child support and is documenting his case for custody.
Watch for some of these subtle indicators and then do some planning of your own. It's no longer merely a matter of catching him having an affair, but of him cheating you and your children from the financial security you each deserve
