Alimony fraud, when your ex-partner conceals income

Alimony fraud: a hidden problem affecting many families

After a divorce, alimony is intended to ensure financial fairness, both for the ex-partner and for any children. But what if your ex-partner systematically conceals income, works off the books or hides assets to reduce their alimony obligations? Alimony fraud is a common problem that not only hurts financially but also deeply undermines the sense of justice.

Wijzer in Geldzaken (Wiser with Money), an initiative of the Ministry of Finance, points out that financial transparency after a divorce is essential for a fair arrangement. In practice, however, a significant proportion of alimony payers are not fully transparent about their financial situation.

The Scientific Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) has researched how the alimony system functions in practice and concludes that enforcement is a weak point: when an alimony payer systematically understates their income, the alimony recipient often has insufficient means to prove this.

A professional alimony investigation offers a solution. By mapping your ex-partner’s actual financial situation, facts emerge that the court can use to revise the alimony.

How ex-partners conceal income

Alimony fraud takes many forms, from simple tricks to sophisticated constructions. The following methods occur most frequently in our practice:

• Working off the books while officially part-time or unemployed
• Channelling income through a new partner’s or family member’s company
• Manipulating business income via low salary, inflated expenses or deferred profits
• Hiding assets with third parties, abroad or in disconnected legal entities
• Cohabiting without registration to preserve the alimony obligation
• Declaring fictitious expenses or debts to reduce apparent earning capacity

ConsuWijzer advises consumers to seek professional advice when suspecting financial abuse, as collecting evidence yourself can carry legal risks.

Which signals point to alimony fraud?

As an alimony recipient, you are not powerless. The following signals may indicate your ex-partner is not being honest about their financial situation:

• Lifestyle that does not match declared income, such as luxury purchases
• Sudden income drop shortly after divorce or alimony determination
• Vagueness about work activities, irregular hours or no clear employer
• Unreported business activities, company participations or freelance work
• New partner with assets and possible undisclosed cohabitation
• Foreign travel or business activities inconsistent with declared income

How SAJ Recherche conducts an alimony investigation

At SAJ Recherche, we conduct alimony investigations aimed at establishing the actual financial situation of the alimony payer. Our investigation is discreet, proportionate and delivers evidence admissible in court.

• Financial background investigation, We analyse your ex-partner’s financial position through open sources: Chamber of Commerce registrations, directorships, property ownership, vehicle registrations and other asset components. This provides a first indication of their real earning capacity.
• OSINT investigation, Through social media and online sources we map your ex-partner’s lifestyle and activities. Photos, posts and check-ins can provide valuable indications of income or assets that have not been declared.
• Surveillance, Where there are suspicions of off-the-books work or undeclared activities, surveillance can provide answers. Our investigators discreetly follow the person concerned to establish whether work activities are taking place.
• Business investigation, For the self-employed and director-shareholders, we analyse the business operations, turnover, client base and financial constructions to determine whether the declared income is realistic.
• Reporting, The findings are recorded in a factual report suitable for submission to the court, the LBIO (the Dutch alimony collection agency) or your attorney.

All investigations are conducted under POB licence 8779 and in compliance with the Wpbr and GDPR. We operate within the boundaries of the law and collect evidence in a manner that passes the proportionality test.

Practical example: director-shareholder with hidden turnover

A single mother approached SAJ Recherche with suspicions that her ex-husband, the director-shareholder of a consultancy firm, was systematically understating his income. According to the official accounts, the company made barely any profit and her ex-husband received a modest salary. Yet he was visibly living well.

Our investigation began with an analysis of the company finances via the Trade Register and filed annual accounts. We then carried out an OSINT investigation that revealed the ex-husband was actively promoting his services via social media and executing several projects that could not be traced in the bookkeeping. Surveillance confirmed that he spent working days at clients whose payments did not run through his company.

Further investigation showed that part of the turnover was being invoiced through a company in the name of his new partner. His actual income was considerably higher than what had been presented to the court.

With our report, the victim’s attorney was able to request a revision of the alimony. The court ruled that the man had concealed his income and redetermined the alimony on the basis of his actual earning capacity.

You have a right to honesty

Alimony is based on financial transparency. When your ex-partner fails to provide this transparency, you have the right to have the actual situation investigated. An alimony investigation is not an act of distrust, it is your right to honesty.

Suspect your ex-partner is concealing income or assets? Contact SAJ Recherche confidentially. We listen to your situation and advise you on the options, without obligation and with complete discretion.