Every year there is a surge in divorce filings from January to March. Why? Most couples, specifically those with children, are reluctant to break up during the closely-spaced holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years; particularly, with the office parties and other events that are almost holiday rituals, like Black Friday shopping. After all, there is a whole year to get divorced before a reset of these holidays and hopefully start the next year with a clean slate as a single person. This blog explores seven key ... Read More
15
Nov2017
03
Nov2017
The Use of Forensic Accountants and Private Investigators to Find Hidden Assets in Divorce
In Indiana when you file for divorce, there is a rebuttable presumption that the Court is to divide the marital estate or assets 50/50. Sometimes there are allegations that a party has hidden monies and other assets of the marriage that has to be divided. There is a rule that the division of the marital estate cannot exceed its entire value.1
This means that if the total value of the ... Read More
17
Dec2015
Failing to Include Assets and Value Them and Informal Loans from Parents and Third Parties
While emotion often overrides divorce proceedings, particularly where child custody is in dispute, it is key to identify if sufficient evidence of all assets of the marital estate are present. Marital assets also include debts. The Indiana Court of Appeals recent Barton v. Barton case makes this point.
First, loans versus gifts from parents are difficult to determine. It is the litigant’s burden of proof to establish in the ... Read More
13
Oct2011
Most attorneys, along with individuals who work within the legal system, take the legal “jargon” or terms given to the most common documents filed in courts in connection with divorces for granted. Ciyou & Dixon, P.C. advocates believe understanding these basics aid in understanding the more complicated legal concepts contained within those filings.
In this blog post, we cover the five (5) most common terms that are used. We hope when you hear about these, you ... Read More
05
Apr2011
Ciyou & Dixon, P.C. attorneys routinely field questions about technological advances that may be used to gather critical evidence. Indeed, the tools that are available sometimes allow amazing pieces of evidence to be captured, authenticated, and have an evidentiary basis laid for their admission into evidence and use in the courtroom proceedings.
For example, a spouse’s affair and the lavishing of gifts on a younger man may be memorialized in electronic format and played in HD in the courtroom to ... Read More