Help. I need some guidance.
My wife told me when she left a year ago that we don’t need lawyers to separate things out. Now that I’m looking for a lawyer, she has tied up at least three that I’ve tried to get an appointment with.
I’m going through a separation in British Columbia after a long-term 24 year marriage, and I’m trying to understand what type of legal expertise I should be looking for.
My concern is that there may be money or other assets that I don’t currently know about. During the marriage, my spouse was primarily responsible for the company’s bookkeeping and banking, and I’m concerned that money may have been moved into accounts in her name or otherwise transferred or concealed during the period leading up to the separation.
I’m trying to figure out **what type of family-law experience I should be looking for** when I consult with a lawyer.
For example:
Is there a particular area of family law that deals with tracing potentially hidden assets?
Should I be looking for a family lawyer with experience in financial disclosure and complex property division?
When one spouse controlled the business finances, what kinds of records or disclosure can the other spouse normally request?
If marital money was transferred into an account solely in the other spouse’s name, does that automatically mean the money belongs to that spouse, or can it still be considered family property?
Are there situations where a lawyer can obtain financial records or trace transfers that the other spouse hasn’t voluntarily disclosed?
What should I be documenting or gathering now to help my lawyer determine whether money has been moved or concealed?
I’m not asking anyone here to provide legal advice about my specific case. I’m mainly trying to understand **what kind of legal expertise I should be looking for and what the general process looks like in BC.**
If anyone has gone through something similar in BC, I’d be interested in hearing what you learned about the process.