The desire to help may never be stronger than when a patient faces the upheaval of divorce. A client’s anxiety may naturally be high as they face so much change: When will they see their children? Will they have to sell or leave their home? Will they have enough money? Will they be happier or lonelier? Ideally, therapy will help the patient find their way to the most successful outcome.

Having cash available may be an important part of a safety plan for an abused person who may need to flee. For anyone else, stashing cash, jewelry, or other assets is a mistake that is likely to blow up on them.

I’ve been surprised over the years at how frequently clients tell me that their therapist encouraged them to slowly siphon off cash and hide it in their sock drawer, to stash their best jewelry with their sister, or to open secret bank accounts. I know the motivation for this advice is protection of the patient, but a patient who has been hiding money might look dishonest and sneaky when the behavior comes to light.

The very first step in the divorce legal process is financial disclosure. The patient will immediately face either disclosing the money, jewelry, accounts they’ve set aside or committing perjury. Money or assets that have disappeared can be charged to the person who fails to account for them. The money that’s been tucked away will have to be revealed or could otherwise be discovered and might seriously damage the individual’s credibility for the rest of the case. Most of........

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