Discovery sanctions are penalties imposed by the court for failing to disclose required information, refusing to respond to proper discovery requests, destroying or concealing evidence, or violating discovery orders. Sanctions can include adverse inference instructions, exclusion of evidence at trial, attorney fee awards, and in extreme cases striking pleadings.

Courts take discovery violations seriously because they undermine the integrity of the fact-finding process. A party who conceals assets or destroys evidence is depriving the court and the other party of the information needed to reach a fair result.

Document preservation matters from the moment a divorce is contemplated. Destroying relevant documents after you know or should know that litigation is likely or pending can be characterized as spoliation and can result in serious sanctions.