Forensic
Accounting in Divorce
A divorce becomes a complicated
legal and financial matter when the
parties are unable to compromise and
when many assets are involved.
Often the unwillingness to
compromise is fueled by perceived or
actual misrepresentations of assets
and/or income in the marital estate.
Some of the factors that
contribute to this are:
-
Different levels of financial savvy between divorcing parties
-
Different
levels of involvement in the
financial management and
responsibilities in the marital
household
-
Fear regarding the unknown standard
of living after the divorce
-
Protective approach by one or both parties to intentionally hide assets
or artificially inflate expenses
-
Misconception regarding the ownership of and right to non-marital assets
An inaccurate discovery document can
have an unfair impact on the
settlement agreement. The use of a
financial expert can aid in
relieving these fears when the
expert provides fair, objective
advice that is supported by proper
research and analysis.
Below are examples of some of
the areas in which our forensic
accountants can offer assistance
during a divorce:
-
Review financial data to determine its accuracy and reasonableness
-
Determine each spouses standard of living and disposable income
-
Locate hidden assets or hidden income
-
Trace and define marital versus separate property
-
Reconstruction of financial records
-
Assist attorney in preparing document requests, gathering information and
preparing interrogatories
-
Review reports submitted by opposing party’s financial expert
-
Testify in court
Our team of forensic accountants,
financial analysts and tax
consultants are skilled at tracing
transactions and identifying
evidence that suggests deferred
income or hidden assets.
We have the experience to
offer assistance in all areas of
divorce proceedings.
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