If You’re Married to a Defendant in a White-Collar Case…
Trillions of dollars are lost due to white collar crimes in this country every year. Many of the fraudsters—3/4 of whom are men—are married, and quite often their spouses know nothing about their crimes. Nonetheless, those spouses pay a hefty price. And while both men and women find themselves in this spot, far more women are left holding the bag when their spouse is convicted of a white-collar crime.
White-Collar Wives
Having no participation or cognizance of the crime for which their husbands are being prosecuted does not protect women from dire consequences. Being blindsided by the charges sends many women into a tailspin, and as their husbands are trotted off to serve time behind bars, women are left to pick up the pieces of a family that’s been torn apart, faces financial ruin, and doesn’t know where to turn. The criminal justice system impacts these families as a whole, and there are few resources out there to help them navigate a confusing and difficult situation.
Understand This…
The head-spinning news that your spouse is being prosecuted often comes with pleas for understanding and proclamations of innocence. But know that 95 percent of such indictments wind up in a guilty plea, so waiting around for a favorable verdict may not be the best way to go. Reject the idea that you should put off building protections for yourself and your family and your share of the assets. Other things that you need to get honest about include:
- You should get your own experienced criminal defense attorney who is focused on looking out for YOU!
- The only way to protect your assets may be through a divorce. That’s because community property may be seized in order to punish your spouse or to pay restitution. Making a clean cut early could give you a decent chance of keeping what’s rightfully yours.
- Filing joint taxes will make you responsible for half of the tax debt on the ill-gotten gains. Avoid a joint filing, as well as any other legal entanglements if your spouse is under investigation.
- All financial transactions—legit or not—will be closely scrutinized. Don’t create new accounts for the kids, don’t try to hide assets, and don’t move money around once you know of an investigation. It could make it look like you’ve been in on the criminal activity.
- Conversations with your spouse are protected, but it’s still possible for a clever official to squeeze information out of you. Better to put off any conversations until your attorney is present.
- Don’t discuss the case with anyone else. They won’t have the ability to refuse to answer questions, because they don’t have the marriage confidentiality that you have!
- While your conversations with your spouse are protected, anything said after your divorce is not, so be careful there.
- Expect your phones to be tapped. It’s unfair, but it’s legal if the feds got a warrant to listen in to your spouse.
Focusing on Your Legal Protection
You’re guilty of nothing more than being married to a likely criminal, but your world is falling apart anyway. Avoid getting drawn into the chaos by insisting on having the shrewd and knowledgeable Kissimmee and Orlando criminal defense lawyers at Salazar & Kelly Law Group on your side. Schedule a confidential consultation in our office today.
Source:
embroker.com/blog/white-collar-crime-statistics/
