{"id":130,"date":"2022-09-30T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homestead.askmattshaw\/?p=130"},"modified":"2025-12-19T10:53:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T16:53:20","slug":"how-to-recognize-your-spouses-dissipation-of-marital-assets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shawsanders.com\/wordpress\/how-to-recognize-your-spouses-dissipation-of-marital-assets\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Recognize Your Spouse\u2019s Dissipation of Marital Assets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The division of marital assets in an Illinois divorce is a stressful process under any circumstances, and it can be made worse by a spouse who recklessly or intentionally wastes assets, or uses them for self-serving purposes before the divorce is finalized. The legal term for this behavior is \u201cdissipation,\u201d and there are remedies available to a spouse who has been wronged by it. However, it is important to understand what actually qualifies as dissipation to make sure you have grounds to file a claim against your spouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncovering Signs of Asset D<\/strong>issipation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Before you can go about claiming dissipation, you need to be aware that it is happening. In some cases, a spouse\u2019s wasting of marital assets may be open and obvious, especially if they are doing it out of spite or a desire to hurt the other spouse. However, it is more common for a spouse to try to hide their dissipation. You may be able to find signs of dissipation on your own by carefully reviewing your joint bank accounts, credit cards, and other financial documents. You can also enlist the services of a forensic accountant to find signs that you may have missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Qualifies as Dissipation in Illinois?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You may have questions and concerns about your spouse\u2019s spending behavior in a variety of circumstances, but only certain kinds of behaviors qualify as dissipation from a legal standpoint. You can better determine whether your spouse is dissipating assets by asking yourself the following questions about their behavior:<\/p>\n\n\n\n