Taking the Entity's Temperature
We all know of the relatiely recent, devasting effects of the corruption and fraud in the financial reporting of industry giants such as Enron and WorldCom. These companies were able to defraud investors at a level not seen before in this country, primarily through the systematic manipulation of their financial reports. Learn More>>
The Double-Dipping Arguments
Should income used to establish asset value for division of property also be considered for spousal support? Is "double-dipping" an issue? Learn More>>
Cracking the C-O-D-E
Whether the business valuation report is your first or your fiftieth, two very important factors must be considered before starting your review. The expert who submits it must be sufficiently qualified to value the subject company, and the expert's procedures and report must be in compliance with appropriate business valuation standards. Learn More>>
Discovery Not a Job for Christopher Columbus
The billionaire T. Boone Pickens once said, "An idiot with a plan can beat a genius without a plan." In a divorce case, discovery is not a job for a financial explorer out to "discover the world." Discovery is the most time-intensive and expensive phase of a family law case. It requires a lawyer and CPA working together on a focused assisgnment with a plan tailored to the fact of the case. Learn More>>
Achieving Long-Term Fiscal Fitness Through the Divorce Settlement
A rather cynical (but competent) financial planner once remarked, "The aftermath of a divorce settlement can be worse than the breakup of the marriage." Unfortunately, even in the most amicable divorce, a lack of long-range financial vision can indeed produce unintended and dire consequences for either partner or their children. Learn More>>
Follow the Money
Quantifying the "reasonable need" of a party is best determined after a review of actual historical expenses. In the classic movie Bull Durham, the baseball team's manager makes an inspiring speech to his team: "Baseball is a simple game. You throw the ball. You catch the ball. You hit the ball." In divorce, the same can be said of property division. Learn More>>
Show Me the Money
Often valuation analysts are challenged to determine proper amounts of an owner-employee compensation in conjunction with marital dissolution matters. A starting point in the process involves the effort made to define, identify, and properly classify income at the enterprise level. Learn More>>
Think Like a Thief
How we look at things affects what we see, our paradigm or gestalt, if you will. Sometimes forensic accountants and attorneys are so absorbed in trying to figure out what is wrong with the information on a page that they completely overlook the informiaton that should be on the page but is not. Learn More>>