Can my spouse legally transfer funds offshore before a divorce to avoid paying me this money?

Hiding assets in divorce won't do much good since the courts will require every bit of asset information such as account information in order to equitably divide assets during the divorce. This is to ensure that both parties have access to the property and money accumulated during the marriage, and in the case of spousal support, to ensure that the payments are accurately calculated.  However, it is not uncommon for individuals to dispute the equity of the court’s division, and at times, some individuals try to impose their own form of equity into the situation by hiding assets.  Courts want to have a record of all assets owned by both parties when deciding how to calculate spousal payments and do not permit individuals to lessen their responsibilities by hiding assets.

If you believe your husband is planning to hide money in offshore accounts, you should inform your divorce attorney.  Attorneys in this area may know experts who can track hidden assets.  Another approach is to make records of all known accounts.  Generally a spouse will have to account for a large, sudden decrease in a bank account and the court could order the individual to return hidden assets.