Ex-partner stole wallet, I have copy, but...

[Coco_JJ]

Dear technical guys & gals!

I am in quite a... situation. Please give some information on this.
Thing is - me and my husband are divorcing. We've stored our bitcoins in the same offline wallet. Stupid as I am, I've always trusted my husband and that we will share the bitcoins in case of divorce. He has been the technical support guy and I have just been investing in the whole thing starting from year 2012 (his stack is only like 10%). Back then in 2012 he gave me a copy of the wallet and the password (handwritten, can prove it is his handwriting, and the wallet file's date also tells when it is created).
I've understood that it's a bad thing opening the file in a computer that is online, so I haven't done that. When I checked how big the file is (without opening it), it's over 20 GB - that won't fit into my computer right now. And also, it wouldn't contain the latest transactions anyway since it's been offline.

Some time time ago we had a big fight, and he took command over the bitcoins. He is afraid I will reveal a dark secret he has, a secret that would also hurt our child if people were to know, so he says he won't let me have them. And like I said, I can't check what's going on in the wallet right now, but he would of course be pretty stupid if he hadn't changed the password already.

But. My bank account tells what I have invested in the bitcoins (sums and bitcoinstores), I also have receipts, so this adds to the proofs that I own a lot of what is in the wallet. But here comes the hard part: I know that he has been trading and placing some of the bitcoins in other cryptocurrencies, so right now Iḿ not all that sure about the exact amount that should be in the wallet. AND: it's also possible that he has created new wallets, where he has hidden parts of the bitcoins. So it can be hard for me to prove to a jury "how much I own" or how much there should be to start with. He has been using Thor/VPN. As far as I'm concerned he has been using Bitstamp, but I don't know the rest.
One time before all this, one of our friends told me he knew how much money I potentially had in bitcoins (my husband had told him), so he could be a witness in court, but now that bros come befo hoes, he won't be on my side. Especially not if he is offered bitcoins.

From time to time he tries to calm the situation and tells me he's ready to start paying me a certain sum every month if I need money. But I don't want to be in that unfair situation for the rest of my life.

Is it possible to trace the potential new wallets or activities, so that I would be able to prove what belongs to me? If I am only able to see the actual sum of our bitcoins, I would be ready to share them 50-50 with him, as you should in my country when you divorce. You understand that we are talking 2012 here and that I do not want to see this load go down the drain. The worst part is that I don't know if bitcoins are considered to be "money" - what if the court decides there is nothing to share since it's only computer code...
I have to know what to do before september 2017. I can not trust anything my ex says.

Thank you so much for your help.

Coco

[CryptKeeper]

You're in a really bad situation and I feel sorry for you.
The wallet files he gave you are only a copy of the bitcoin blockchain (the public ledger of all transaction), together with a small encrypted file where the private keys are stored. You need the private keys to have control over the bitcoins, e.g. for sending them to someone or to a bitcoin exchange. The password you have and the files you've received belong together. That means if your husband changes the password for his wallet, it will not affect your wallet. But he can easily send out the bitcoins to another wallet or to an exchange. So better hurry up to gain control over your wallet and move the bitcoins elsewhere.
You should make a hard copy of the wallet files details in explorer and send this to someone reputable to analyze which wallet type it is. Or you can go directly to https://walletrecoveryservices.com/ which is a well-known service run by a long-time bitcoiner but he will charge you 20% fee as far as I know.
Good luck!

[Coco_JJ]

Thank you for your help!

Is it technically possible to trace potentially new wallets he has created? I mean, let's say there are none or very few bitcoins left in the "old" wallet (the one that I might have access to), when there should be m-a-n-y?
I need to know if the police or the investigators eventually would have any chance finding all the bitcoins he has hidden. He has been using Thor or VPN. The wallet copy I have is an off line type and Bitstamp is the place where he used to be, don 't know what he has been using now.

[Patrickmiller]

These things are very normal in divorce cases, i am feeling sorry for you but i am advising you to keep record of every thing in future and don't trust anyone except your self.