When a spouse hides assets, the court will find them.

One of the questions I am asked most often by clients going through divorce is some version of this: What if my husband, or wife, is not being honest about what they have?

It is a reasonable fear. And in my experience, it is not an uncommon situation.

Financial remedy proceedings in England and Wales place both parties under a duty of full and frank disclosure. That duty is not optional. It is not something a clever legal structure or a well-organised asset portfolio can simply bypass. The Family Court has wide and powerful tools at its disposal: third-party disclosure orders, trust-busting powers, adverse inferences, and judges use them.

A case decided last year made this clear in stark terms (Alona Sloutsker v Vladimir Sloutsker & Ors [2025]EWFC 369). A husband who presented himself as a man of limited means was found by the court to have concealed assets running into hundreds of millions of pounds. Properties, investments, bank accounts, art, all of it came to light, not because he chose to disclose it, but because the court compelled third parties to produce the documents he had refused to provide. The judge found him to be a dishonest witness. The consequences were significant.

What strikes me about cases like this is not just the scale of the dishonesty. It is how often people going through divorce genuinely do not know what their financial picture looks like, because one party has always controlled the finances, or because assets are held in structures deliberately designed to be opaque.

If you are in that position, there are things you can do.

Starting early always helps. The earlier you take legal advice, the more time there is to identify what exists, where it is held, and how to approach disclosure. Waiting until proceedings are already underway often means playing catch-up.

It’s always advisable to document what you know. Bank statements, correspondence, property records, business documents, anything you have access to that reflects the true financial position should be preserved. Once proceedings begin, there are restrictions on what can be removed or copied, so early action matters.

Do not assume that complex structures mean untouchable assets. Companies, trusts, offshore holdings, the Family Court is well-versed in these arrangements. The law provides routes to look through corporate structures where assets are being held to defeat a spouse's claims. It may not be straightforward, but it is far from impossible.

And do not be intimidated by a spouse who tells you that you will get nothing, or that certain assets are beyond reach. That is often a negotiating position, not a legal reality.

Divorce is difficult enough without facing it with incomplete information. The law is designed to ensure that both parties understand what is actually in the pot before any settlement is reached. My role is to make sure that the standard is met and that my clients are not settling for less than they are entitled to.

If you have concerns about financial disclosure in your case, I am happy to talk it through.

Speak to GigaLegal Solicitors today

If you are going through a divorce and you have concerns about financial disclosure, or if you have received a Form E from your spouse that does not reflect what you know about their financial position, GigaLegal’s family law team is here to help.

Our 5-star-rated family law team has extensive experience in financial remedy proceedings, including cases involving complex asset structures, offshore holdings, and non-disclosing spouses.

We offer a no-obligation initial consultation. Contact us today to discuss your situation.