Philip Segal’s lengthy interview about asset searching with divorce journalist Ilyssa Panitz is here:
It appeared on line in Authority Magazine.
Tips on Tracking Down Secret Companies
Some people just like privacy, but others form companies with a view to concealing any link between that company and themselves. If you are hiding assets from creditors, that’s a plus (for you, not the creditors).
Picking a company name can be more difficult than many think. A lot of the obvious company names are
Power of Attorney: If You Signed One and You are Divorcing, You Probably Need an Investigator
Now and again a client comes to us for information on a spouse’s assets. But if the client has already signed a power of attorney, the search could involve both spouses’ assets.
A power of attorney between married people could work like this: Wife grants Husband the power to buy and sell things on Wife’s
Empathy: An Asset Searcher’s Critical Tool
If asked to describe the attributes of a good investigator, “empathetic” is not the first word that would come to mind for most people.
For anyone looking for hidden assets, though, empathy is a must.
Empathy means “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another,” and it’s a critical tool for any professional
That Bank Account Information Your Investigator Got? Probably a Crime
Half the time when someone calls our office about asset identification they tell us, “I need bank account information.”
When told that without a court order there is nearly no legal way to get that kind of information from a bank without the account holder’s consent, many ask: “If it’s illegal, why did an investigator
The Jeffrey Epstein Lesson in Overseas Asset Searches
We’ve written here many times about how tough (i.e. slow and expensive) it can be to track down overseas assets. In short, you need to be going after serious money to make it worthwhile, and you can often get clues to the location of offshore money right here in the U.S. That’s helpful if you
The Offshore Asset Search Starter Kit
This blog has been pretty clear over the years that an offshore asset search is not for the faint of heart or anyone on a tight budget.
We have recommended that even if you think there are assets outside the U.S., you could get a better idea of where they may be by searching U.S.
Using Forensic Accountants in Divorce Searches: Don’t Forget the Investigator Piece
One of the most frequently-asked questions new divorce-related clients ask us is: “If I need a forensic accountant can you do that?”
The answer we give is that we are not forensic accountants, but you probably need us anyway because forensic accountants don’t do what we do. And, you may need a forensic accountant as
The Missing Piece in an Asset Search
Clients who hire us for asset searches always want to know what we find. As often as not, the big news after an asset search is when we don’t find something we should be seeing but are not.
When someone is concealing the truth, they often put in place a lie to throw you off.
“Offshore” Assets Here at Home
We’ve written plenty about why it makes sense to do an onshore search within the U.S. when you’re looking for offshore assets. See for instance our Offshore Assets Playbook and here.
What comes as news to many clients is how secretive people are allowed to be with their assets right here in the U.S.