CBIZ is experienced in providing forensic
examinations to support attorneys and their clients on family law
matters, relating to both family financial issues and closely held
business issues.
When are our forensic accounting services
needed?
- When one spouse thinks the other is not
disclosing income and/or assets
- When one spouse needs supporting evidence
that can only be provided as a result of conducting a forensic
examination (e.g. proving ownership of separate property)
- Determining the total disposable income of
the parties (determining hidden, transferred or deferred income)
- Discovering hidden or transferred property
- Identifying the standard of living of the
parties during the marriage
- Ascertaining the validity of claims of
separate property
- Identifying transmuted property (property
that may have changed from separate property to marital)
With closely held businesses, an
examination may be required if there are suspicions that the spouse in
the business:
- is using the business to secretly acquire
personal assets being hidden from the other spouse
- uses perquisites from the business to
support the family, which if discovered could be used in determining
the spouse’s disposable income for support purposes
- receives income from the business that is
hidden from the other spouse, is deferring the timing of income
recognition, or transferring income to someone else.
Examples of what to look for that
indicates your client may require a forensic examination
- the reported income and debt picture does
not support the reported family expenditure
- a spouse involved in a closely held
business with considerable cash transactions that may not be
reported as income
- rental activities that may be generating
cash flow but are reflecting losses on the tax return
- interest or dividends reported on the tax
return from assets that have not been reported on the Sworn
Financial Statement
- evidence of assets on one tax return that
do not appear on subsequent tax returns
- separate property claims (either to
validate your client’s claims or disprove the other spouse’s claims)
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