Affairs, Assets, and custodyWhat do a secret affair, hidden assets and child custody have in common? Everything!  understands that when something is not as it seems, it usually involves more than just one issue.

Take for instance the case we worked that involved a wife, a husband, a lover, a bank and two children.  Sounds like a made for TV Reality show, and many times our Client’s will tell us, you won’t believe this, it could be on TV, or my life could be a bestselling novel.  And yes, the story of their current life situation could very well be.  It’s not the story, it’s not the events, it’s not the other woman or other man, it’s not the activity that in the long run we learn to live with, it’s the outcome we pave for ourselves that makes it bearable.

Our Client had tried to conduct her own investigation by googling word, trying to find the truth in her upside down life.  Our motto, seek the truth and it shall set you free, and that is exactly what we did for her. She was aware of her husband’s marital infidelity, she knew for many years he was an unfaithful husband, he had thought he was having discreet affairs and his wife, the ostrich in the sand, type of woman would never find out.  He was wrong; she had seen the signs of a cheating spouse for quite some time.  She knew she had to keep her wits about her as they shared children, property and social friends, so preparing a plan of action before making any life changing decisions was something she took very seriously.

When she came to us, she had just filed for divorce; she had a well-known attorney that we had worked with for many years, had told him she thought about hiring a PI Company and mentioned our name.  When a law firm and an Investigative company combine their expertise, the information gained is invaluable in the court of law.  Together, we learned that not only was her husband involved with another woman, he had been hiding assets.  When we conducted our asset investigation, we uncovered an account he was linked to that he had opened up years prior with over $100K in it.  We learned he had cashed in some stocks and had funded a purchase of a small cottage that was in his brother’s name.  A nationwide asset search supplied us with financial institutions that held unknown assets he had been contributing to over a period of many years.  Our financial investigator also learned the account was shared by not the woman he was cheating with, but with an old girlfriend from his college days, who was more than happy to supply us with information once she learned she was also being deceived.

The attorney subpoenaed the financial institutions and obtained the transaction histories for all his accounts, not just the accounts he shared with his wife, but the unknown assets he had been hiding.  We also learned that the ex-girlfriend was a resident of the cottage he funded under his brother’s name.  His deceit to both women did him in.  His financial decisions that involved his wife and his children also lost him any chance of obtaining joint custody of his children.

So what do a secret affair, hidden assets and child custody have in common?  Everything, especially when it can be proved to the courts.

-Brenda McGinley, CEO, All in Investigations, All in Investigations

-B. McGinley, Director of Investigations,