When Assets “Disappear” in Divorce
If your spouse suddenly “sells” the boat to a cousin, drains accounts, or deeds property to a friend, you may be dealing with a fraudulent (voidable) transfer. Washington adopted the Uniform Voidable Transactions Act (UVTA) (formerly UFTA), giving courts robust tools to claw back assets and prevent gamesmanship.
Who Counts as a “Creditor” in Family Court?
In divorce, the spouse seeking a fair division is effectively a creditor of the other spouse. If your partner moves property to hinder your equitable share, Washington courts can step in.
Badges of Fraud What Courts Watch
- Transfer to insiders (family, friends, closely-held entities)
- Transfers shortly before/after separation or filing
- No fair consideration (gifts, sham sales, IOUs)
- Concealment or inconsistent explanations
- Transfer of substantially all assets or insolvency after transfer
Multiple badges paint a compelling picture judges don’t need a smoking gun.
Remedies That Work
- Avoidance: Set the transfer aside; bring the asset back to the marital pot.
- Injunctions: Freeze assets to stop further dissipation.
- Execution/levy: Reach the transferred asset directly.
- Attorney’s fees/costs: Possible fee shifting when bad faith is proven.
Discovery Tactics That Find the Money
Our team blends family-law strategy with commercial-litigation tools:
- Subpoenas to banks, escrow, brokerages, crypto exchanges
- Forensic accounting to trace flows and identify conduits
- Early injunctive relief to preserve status quo
- Depositions of transferees/insiders
Defending Against UVTA Claims
Not every pre-divorce transaction is fraudulent. We defend legitimate deals by proving reasonably equivalent value, good-faith purchaser status, or ordinary-course transactions.
Local Experience
From Seattle/Bellevue (King) to Tacoma (Pierce), Everett (Snohomish), Spokane, Vancouver (Clark), and Bremerton (Kitsap), we pursue rapid relief when timing can make or break recovery.
Call to Action:
Suspect hidden assets? Contact Family Law Complex Litigation Advocacy PLLC at (206) 792-7003 or office@familylawcomplexlitigation.com for swift action.