KW Economics prepares business valuation for divorce and marital dissolution matters venued in West Virginia: the income, valuation, and tracing questions the matter raises, the records that answer them, and a presentation built to the way West Virginia courts decide them. Either party.
In a divorce the business valuation is usually the largest and most contested figure in the marital estate, and the valuation date, the treatment of personal goodwill, and the normalization of owner compensation move it materially. The economist normalizes the financial statements for owner compensation, personal expenses, and non-recurring items, values the business under the standard the domestic relations framework applies, and addresses personal and enterprise goodwill where the framework requires the distinction. The same normalized statements support the income determination for support, so the two analyses reconcile.
Valuation of closely held businesses and ownership interests for shareholder and partnership disputes, divorce, estate and gift matters, and buy-sell disagreements. The work applies the income, market, and asset approaches under the standard of value that governs the matter, addresses discounts for lack of control and marketability where they apply, and documents every input so the conclusion can be tested on cross-examination.
The business valuation is usually the largest and most contested figure in the marital estate, and the valuation date, the standard of value, the treatment of personal and enterprise goodwill, and the normalization of owner compensation each move it materially. Income available for support for a self-employed spouse can differ substantially from the reported figure once personal expenses paid by the business and cash flow retained in it are considered, and the owner compensation adjustment has to be carried consistently into the valuation and the income determination, because the same stream of earnings appears in both. Tracing outcomes depend on the completeness of the account records and on how the governing framework, whether equitable distribution or community property, treats commingled funds and the appreciation of separate assets during the marriage.
West Virginia trial judges act as gatekeepers for expert testimony in civil cases and ask whether the economist is qualified, whether the method is reliable and accepted in the profession, and whether it was applied reliably to the facts. A financial analysis for a divorce meets that inquiry by listing each normalization adjustment, valuation input, and tracing step with the record behind it.
Highest court: Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Court system: courtswv.gov.
Federal venues: Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia.
Whether West Virginia divides marital property equitably or as community property, which valuation date applies, how income available for support is defined, and how the goodwill of a professional practice is treated are questions of law that counsel confirms; the report presents each finding so it can be applied under either party's position.
We issue the final report and provide deposition and trial testimony and critique of opposing valuation reports.
In a divorce the business valuation is usually the largest and most contested figure in the marital estate, and the valuation date, the treatment of personal goodwill, and the normalization of owner compensation move it materially. The economist normalizes the financial statements for owner compensation, personal expenses, and non-recurring items, values the business under the standard the domestic relations framework applies, and addresses personal and enterprise goodwill where the framework requires the distinction. The same normalized statements support the income determination for support, so the two analyses reconcile.
West Virginia trial judges act as gatekeepers for expert testimony in civil cases and ask whether the economist is qualified, whether the method is reliable and accepted in the profession, and whether it was applied reliably to the facts. A financial analysis for a divorce meets that inquiry by listing each normalization adjustment, valuation input, and tracing step with the record behind it. Divorce and Marital Dissolution cases venued in West Virginia are heard in the Family Court (Domestic relations matters in each county) and the Circuit Court (General jurisdiction; one in each of 55 counties; all civil and criminal matters), with final appeals to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the Northern District of West Virginia and Southern District of West Virginia.
Whether West Virginia divides marital property equitably or as community property, which valuation date applies, how income available for support is defined, and how the goodwill of a professional practice is treated are questions of law that counsel confirms; the report presents each finding so it can be applied under either party's position. The report lists each normalization adjustment, valuation input, and tracing step with its source and shows the result under each spouse's position, so counsel can apply the West Virginia rules to a documented figure.
Request a consultation on Business Valuation or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.