Maintenance Investigations | Determining Alimony

In disputes over alimony – and also in custody matters – our detective agency in Bonn is available to provide legally admissible evidence of suspected offences, such as concealing income relevant to maintenance or a new marital-like partnership: +49 228 2861 4084.

Concealed Income: Income Verification by Private Detectives from Bonn

Alimony for an ex-partner is divided into two types: Separation maintenance, paid from the filing of the divorce at the family court until finalisation (alternatively also called divorce maintenance), and post-marital maintenance, payable from the date of the court-issued divorce. The calculation of the maintenance amount – not the determination of the entitlement itself – is essentially the same in both cases: it is based on the income of both spouses. As neither party wishes to forfeit financial advantage, it is common for one or more sources of income to be concealed.

A previously well-earning husband may claim he can no longer do overtime due to operational reasons, but secretly takes on an unregistered side job (undeclared work). The wife may already be supported by a new partner, living with them in a marital-like relationship. The examples above are purely illustrative; cases in which the genders are reversed or the circumstances vary are more common than not. Our IHK-certified private detectives in Bonn provide legally admissible evidence of alimony fraud, enabling clients to assert their claims through the legal system. Please use our contact form or call us to commission an investigation or request non-binding advice.

Violations of the Obligation to Earn

Since the alimony reform in 2008, better support has been provided for the partner (usually the wife) who sacrificed their career for the marriage and childcare. Until then, maintenance was calculated on the vague speculation of what the housewife or househusband could theoretically earn. Today, the marriage period without personal income is acknowledged, and maintenance is granted until the person takes up employment, provided they fulfil their obligation to earn and make genuine efforts to re-enter the workforce.

In reality, however, the situation often differs: instead of taking steps to secure employment, the ex-partner may live comfortably at the expense of the other. Compared to proving undeclared work, verifying inactivity is naturally more complex. We are happy to advise on case-specific options to legally prove the ex-partner’s “comfortable idleness.” Please send your request by email to kontakt@kurtz-detektei-bonn.de or call our Bonn detectives at +49 228 2861 4084.