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What is a forensic accountant?

Your divorce lawyer may have recommended that you get a forensic accountant based on the financial circumstances that you and your spouse are dealing with as you divorce. A forensic accountant is a professional accountant, usually a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) whose conclusions about your marital finances will be used in court by the divorce judge. His or her investigation of and testimony about your finances will be up to the legal standard that is widely accepted in courtrooms across the U.S., in legal fields such as:

  • Divorce
  • Bankruptcy
  • Probate (identifying the deceased’s assets and setting their value)
  • Accounting fraud
  • Inventory fraud

Disputes, Deception

In divorce cases, a forensic accountant can be consulted when the spouses disagree about aspects of their finances. In some divorces, one spouse may be trying to hide assets from the other spouse, and/or conceal debts, and/or do other deceptive acts regarding finances to get or keep the upper hand in a divorce and its aftermath.

The Necessary Knowledge

Some assets in a divorce take a significant amount of time and expertise to evaluate. A business owned and operated by one or both spouses is a common example. Other assets and debts can be particularly complex due to their international aspects, community property history, tax law involvement, and other issues. A forensic accountant has the skills and experience to verify the accurate nature of a couple’s financial situation, and to describe them in court so that the judge can make an informed decision based on objective testimony.

Find a Forensic Accountant

Your divorce lawyer is a great resource for finding the supplemental professionals you need. Contact us to find a divorce lawyer near you.


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