Clifford withdrew a substantial sum from his retirement account in April 2023, a move that the appellate court later deemed a dissipation of marital assets.
Married in 2003, the Hunts had three children, one of whom was an adult by the time the case reached court. Clifford moved into a new apartment in April, told his wife he intended to file for divorce, and then withdrew the money before the petition was filed in October, when the account held $309,412.46.
Indiana follows a one‑pot approach to marital property, treating assets of either spouse as part of the shared estate. The court included the withdrawn sum in the marital estate, valuing the net assets at $916,282.81; it awarded Clifford $256,488.89 and Valerie $659,793.92, then ordered an equalisation payment of $90,960.83 (reduced to $81,470.83 after deducting $9,490 of unpaid child support).
Valerie appealed, arguing the withdrawal should not be counted, but the Court of Appeals affirmed both the asset division and the child‑support calculation, stating the withdrawal was a legitimate consideration of marital conduct.
The decision clarifies that pre‑divorce withdrawals are not automatically excluded from the marital estate and sets a precedent that may influence future Indiana divorces.
Parties may now seek enforcement of the order, but no further appeal is expected.