Hidden Assets in a Florida Divorce: How a PI Supports Equitable Distribution

Practical brief for Florida family law attorneys and paralegals.

When a spouse’s financial affidavit does not match the lifestyle, counsel needs facts before the equitable distribution fight, not after. Finding hidden assets in a Florida divorce is rarely about one dramatic discovery. It is usually about patient public-records work that shows where property, entities and money trails exist, so you can aim discovery and subpoenas at the right targets.

This guide explains what a licensed private investigator can lawfully find, where the legal lines are, and how an asset search fits into the family law process.

Why asset searches matter before equitable distribution

Under section 61.075, Florida Statutes, the court identifies marital and nonmarital assets and liabilities and distributes them, starting from a premise of equal distribution. The court can consider factors that justify an unequal split, including the intentional dissipation, waste, depletion or destruction of marital assets after the petition was filed or within two years before filing.

That framework only works if the assets are on the table. Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285 requires mandatory disclosure, including a financial affidavit and supporting documents. Most parties comply. Some do not, and the ones who do not rarely make it easy.

An independent asset search gives counsel a way to test the disclosures against the public record before depositions, before mediation and before the case settles on incomplete numbers.

What a Florida PI can lawfully find

Assets leave a paper trail. A licensed investigator follows the public, lawful part of that trail and documents each source so you can use it.

Real property

Deeds, mortgages and transfers in Florida’s county official records, plus property appraiser data, and property in other states where the facts point there. Recent quitclaim deeds to relatives or new entities are worth a close look.

Business entities and related parties

Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) filings show officers, managers, registered agents and addresses. Cross-referencing those details often connects a spouse to LLCs that never appeared on the affidavit, or to entities held through a friend, relative or business associate.

Vehicles, vessels and aircraft

Vessel and aircraft registrations (including the FAA registry) are researchable. Motor vehicle record information is protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and is used only for a permissible purpose, such as use in connection with a civil proceeding.

Liens, UCC filings and court records

UCC financing statements can reveal equipment, inventory or other collateral tied to a business. Judgments, liens, lis pendens, bankruptcy filings and civil suits can show money owed to or by the spouse, or a pattern of moving property around litigation.

Lifestyle and open-source indicators

Public social media, business websites, press mentions, professional licenses and marketing materials can point to income streams, side businesses or property that the paperwork leaves out. These are leads, not conclusions, and we report them that way.

What an investigator cannot lawfully obtain

This is the part that protects your case. Some financial information is legally protected and comes only through the court process or consent.

• Bank and brokerage account details. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (15 U.S.C. § 6821) prohibits obtaining customer financial information from a financial institution by pretexting. Balances, statements and account records come through counsel by subpoena, discovery or the account holder’s authorization.
• Private communications. Florida’s recording and interception law (Chapter 934) requires all-party consent to record private conversations. We do not record calls or interviews without consent, and we do not access anyone’s accounts or devices.
• Misrepresentation by counsel’s agents. Under Florida Bar Rule 4-5.3, lawyers are responsible for supervising nonlawyer assistants, including investigators. Pretexting or contacting a represented party on counsel’s behalf creates professional responsibility risk under Rules 4-4.1, 4-4.2 and 4-8.4. See our guide to Florida Bar Rule 4-5.3 and investigators.

If anyone offers you a spouse’s bank balances “off the record,” walk away. Evidence obtained that way can damage the case and expose the people involved.

How findings support discovery

The real value of an asset search is targeting. Instead of broad requests that invite objections, counsel can point to specific entities, properties and transactions.

• Test the financial affidavit. Compare what was disclosed against property, entity and lien records.
• Aim subpoenas. An LLC with a known registered agent, or a property with a recorded mortgage, tells you which institution or custodian to subpoena.
• Prepare depositions. Questions built on recorded documents are harder to dodge than open-ended ones.
• Support dissipation arguments. A dated chain of transfers can help counsel evaluate whether assets moved within the window the statute addresses.
• Bring in a forensic accountant. Our findings give a CPA a cleaner starting map of entities and accounts to analyze.

We report what the records support. Sometimes the search confirms the disclosures are complete, and that is useful too: it lets counsel focus resources elsewhere.

Red flags that justify an asset search

• The lifestyle (travel, vehicles, boats, real estate) outpaces reported income.
• The spouse owns or controls a closely held business, especially a cash business.
• Recent property transfers to relatives, friends or newly formed entities.
• New LLCs formed shortly before or after the separation.
• Reported business income dropped sharply once the marriage began to fail.
• Property or business interests in other states or countries.

How an engagement with MAYN Investigations works

MAYN Investigations is licensed under Chapter 493, Florida Statutes (Florida agency license A3400126), and works directly with counsel. A typical assignment runs like this:

1. Scoping call. We discuss the parties, known entities and addresses, counties, the case posture and your deadlines.
2. Records research. Property, corporate, lien, court and registry searches in the relevant Florida counties and other states.
3. Entity and link analysis. We connect people to LLCs, agents, addresses and related parties to surface assets held indirectly.
4. Report for counsel. Organized findings with sources and suggested follow-up for discovery or subpoenas.

Working through counsel also helps keep the work product structure clear. Learn more on our asset searches and family law investigations pages.

FAQ: hidden assets in a Florida divorce

Can a private investigator find a spouse’s bank accounts in Florida?

Not by pretexting the bank. Federal law prohibits that. An investigator can often identify which institutions are likely involved, for example through recorded mortgages, UCC filings or entity records, so counsel can request records by subpoena or discovery.

Is asset search information admissible?

Public records our report cites can generally be obtained in certified form, and the investigator can testify about the work. Admissibility is a question for counsel and the court in each case.

Should the attorney or the client hire the investigator?

In most family law matters, we recommend the engagement run through counsel so the investigation is directed by the attorney and the work stays coordinated with the litigation strategy.

How long does an asset search take?

It depends on the number of people, entities and jurisdictions. Call us with your deadline and we will tell you what is realistic for your matter.

Can you search for assets outside Florida?

Yes. Public property and corporate records in other states can be researched, and many hidden assets sit just across a state line or inside an out-of-state entity.

Do you take insurance cases?

No. We work for law firms and businesses, plus individuals working with counsel on matters like divorce asset searches.

This article is general information for attorneys and legal professionals. It is not legal advice, and decisions about discovery, admissibility and compliance belong to counsel.