You've been advised correctly. Forensic accounting generally is for those having a corporation business dealing with huge discrepancies between their Profit/Loss vs. revenues of income. One generally will already have some evidence money is misappropriated somewhere hidden in some fabricated expense . Usually the cost efficiency is when the search is for upper 6 figures. Otherwise, you're wasting your money if you're dealing with household income.

If your ex has a retirement fund, the quarter/ annual reports [are federally required] will show the bimonthly income before taxes vs. the portioned amount funded into account. The claimed income should simply equal the report... it is as good as a W2.

I think what you are wanting is called formal discovery.

Here is an article written about assets being hidden

http://www.divorce360.com/divorce-articles/finance/costs/are-they-hiding-money-from-you.aspx?artid=666

Thanks for the article, Mis. It seems so unfair for the spouse who is hiding assets to get away with it because the other one can't afford a formal discovery. Really bad. I'm afraid that's me. And my stbx knows that, I'm sure. Ugh.

I'm so tired of him getting what he wants. He hasn't fully disclosed his finances and my attorney and financial planner are like, "Oh well." That's not good enough!!! He has kept me waiting for MONTHS on a car and is still doing so. I'm currently driving my daughter's car. I'm having to sell our house and go through a move. He's comfortably tucked away in a condo that could shoot up dramatically in value in the coming months when they build a marina right next to it. Why am I the loser? I don't deserve this. All I'm getting is charged out the wazoo by my attorneys with nothing to show for it. Is that all I get? Gggrrrr.

I think you need to have a frank discussion with your attorney and find out specifically what can happen to him legally if he doesn't disclose this information. "Oh well" wouldn't cut it with me either. Can they subpoena the information?

You can subpoena info directly from a bank or institution. My attorney did that.

We sent subpoenas to the ex's HR and had copies of his paystubs for the previous year.

Hurtin and Trisha are correct. Obtaining financial information is part of the discovery process. Refusal to comply can result in contempt charges being placed upon your husband AND his attorney. The court will enforce the law in that regard.

As tobywinn said, forensic accounting is in order only when there are gargantuan sums of money involved. When I divorced, there was around $75,000 that was not accounted for. After talking with my attorney about it, we decided that it simply wasn't worth hiring a forensic accountant to find it. That cost, plus my attorney's time and court time would have pretty much offset my share of it in the lng run and I was ready to be done with the Assclown anyway. We had negotiated a very nice financial settlement despite the missing $.

I was fine with that, but will admit wishing the X would CHOKE ON IT!