I’m Getting Divorced; What Should I Do with the Cash in our Safe?

Lots of families have safes in their homes.

They keep all sorts of things in them, like: guns, jewelry, birth certificates and other documents, and, most importantly, cash.

This makes sense. You don’t want a bunch of cash floating around your house where anyone can take it.

And cash is great. My family and I are Dave Ramsey people, so we use cash all the time.

There is a problem with cash and safes when you’re getting divorced, though: the cash tends to go missing from the safe.

Poof. Gone. Never to be seen again.

In fact, in almost every divorce we have ever done that involved a safe and cash in the safe, the money has gone missing.

And once cash goes missing, it’s almost impossible to get it back.

So, what should you do if you’re getting divorced and there are cash and other valuables in the safe?

Here is what’s worked well for our clients:

  1. Before you tell your spouse you’re getting divorced, take an inventory of the safe and take pictures of everything.

This is so important. Without an inventory and photos of everything, your spouse can take everything and say, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. There wasn’t anything in there.”

Document every item in the safe, and take pictures of every item. Record the date you took the inventory and pictures.

  1. Remove the items from the safe and put them somewhere else.

Even if you inventory and photo everything, your soon-to-be ex could still take all the cash. You would have to go through the court process to get it back, which is expensive.

Better to ensure nothing can be taken. You could put everything in a safety deposit box. That’s probably the most secure thing you could do. If you don’t want to do that, give the items to a friend or family member you absolutely trust to keep everything.

  1. Tell your spouse what you have done, after you have filed for divorce.

You don’t want your spouse to think you stole everything from the safe. That doesn’t help build trust, which you will need as you get ready to negotiate your divorce.

Let him or her know what you’ve done with the items in the safe, but do it after you’ve filed for divorce. If you wait until after filing, our experience has been that it’s much less likely your spouse will try to find and steal the cash.

Call Brown Family Law

If you find yourself facing a Utah divorce, please call 801.685.9999 for an in-person consultation, or use our online scheduling tool.

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Worked with Nick and Carren they did an awesome job with a difficult situation. The whole Brown law team was excellent to work with. I would highly recommend them to anyone that needs thier services. Thank you Nick and Carren also the rest of the team. On a side note everyone i delt with was very friendly! Thank you again!
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Navigating a divorce is never easy, and I am so grateful to have had the support of attorney Nathaniel Garrabrandt and paralegal Carren Leavitt. From start to finish, they were responsive, professional, and compassionate. I really appreciated the weekly check-in Every phone call and email was answered promptly. There were moments when I needed immediate help with custody issues and protection—Nathaniel handled those situations with calm expertise and gave me the reassurance I needed during such a stressful and uncertain time.

Divorce can feel overwhelming, but having strong legal guidance made all the difference. Nathaniel and Carren provided not only the legal knowledge but also the steady support that helped me feel protected and confident moving forward. I couldn’t recommend Briwn Family Law more highly to anyone needing a reliable and caring legal team!
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