If assets have been hidden throughout the marriage, rather than only after separation, the legal issues can be more serious.

If one spouse consistently contributed to the household or a joint account but the other spouse concealed money or assets, prevented purchases, or diverted funds into accounts or property held by relatives or other third parties, a court may view this as more than simply “hard bargaining.” Depending on the evidence and the law of the country, it could amount to:

• Concealment of marital assets or lack of financial disclosure.
• Financial or economic abuse, particularly if one spouse controlled all spending while restricting the other’s access to money.
• Breach of the duty of good faith owed between spouses in financial matters.
• In some cases, fraudulent concealment if assets were deliberately hidden to defeat the other spouse’s rights.

If the court finds that assets were deliberately concealed, it may:

• Order full disclosure of financial records.
• Investigate transfers to family members or other third parties.
• Treat assets held in someone else’s name as belonging to the spouse if there is evidence they were only transferred to hide them.
• Adjust the financial settlement to reflect the true value of the marital estate.
• In some jurisdictions, impose legal costs or other sanctions for failing to disclose assets honestly.

In your example, where you were continually contributing to a joint account but were prevented from buying anything for yourself while money was being hidden, the court may consider a wider pattern of financial control rather than isolated incidents. If supported by evidence, this pattern can be relevant to the overall financial issues in the divorce.

Evidence that can help includes:

• Bank statements showing your contributions.
• Records of large withdrawals or transfers.
• Property records.
• Emails, text messages or WhatsApp messages.
• Evidence that relatives were holding assets on the spouse’s behalf.
• Witness statements.
• Any discrepancies between your spouse’s declared finances and their actual lifestyle or assets.

Whether those hidden assets can ultimately be recovered depends on the evidence available and the laws of the country where the divorce and assets are located. A lawyer can also ask the court to investigate suspicious transactions or require the other spouse to explain transfers to family members.