Forensic Accounting

What Does a Forensic Accountant Do in Divorce Cases

While many people think divorcing in California is easy because everything is divided 50-50, the actual task of dividing assets and determining support is largely an art, not a science.

In a divorce case, forensic accountants work with family law attorneys to divide assets and determine support in your favor.

A forensic accountant is an expert at doing the following:

• Reviewing the client’s and soon-to-be ex’s income statements (tax returns, tax schedules, W2s, 1099s, etc.) to determine the proper amount of alimony or spousal support.
• Reviewing the client’s and soon-to-be ex’s income statements to determine the proper amount of child support.
• Providing valuations of any business assets involved in the divorce, including the community versus separate property breakdown
• Tracing community and/or separate property money for purposes of satisfying reimbursement and credit claims.

Typically, forensic accountants charge a retainer in the thousands of dollars.

At Park Family Law, we have contracted in-house forensic accountants who, as a result of their trusted relationships with us, can provide immediate forensic accounting services to our clients without a retainer. This is a tremendous value-add for our clients and not a typical service offered at other family law firms.

During this stressful time, whether we help you through a mutually agreeable mediation or an aggressive litigation strategy, Park Family Law will help you get the best possible results.