Divorce financial analysis is billed at an hourly rate against a retainer established at the outset, with a written fee schedule and a cost estimate before work begins. The scope of the engagement, and so its cost, depends on the factors below.
How divorce financial analysis is billed
Matrimonial financial analysis is billed at an hourly rate for records review, reconstruction, valuation, report preparation, and testimony. A retainer is established at the outset and applied against time incurred. The current rate schedule and retainer terms are provided on request and confirmed in a written engagement agreement.
What sets the scope
Matrimonial engagements are scoped to the questions counsel asks and the complexity of the marital finances. A single income determination for a self-employed spouse is the narrowest scope; adding a business valuation, a lifestyle analysis, or tracing of separate property through years of commingled accounts widens the record and the work. We provide a written fee schedule and a cost estimate before work begins.
What drives cost
Which questions are engaged: income determination, business valuation, lifestyle analysis, or separate property tracing
Complexity of the parties' income, including self-employment, pass-through entities, deferred compensation, and perquisites paid through a business
Number of accounts and years to be reconstructed for a lifestyle or tracing analysis
Whether a business interest must be valued and the quality of its financial records
Degree of cooperation in producing records and whether documents must be obtained through discovery
Deposition and trial testimony, including preparation and travel time
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (n.d.). Statement on Standards for Valuation Services (VS Section 100). AICPA & CIMA. Retrieved August 27, 2026. aicpa-cima.com
National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. (n.d.). NACVA professional standards and ethics. Retrieved August 27, 2026. nacva.com
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Current Population Survey (CPS). U.S. Department of Labor. bls.gov
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). American Community Survey (ACS). U.S. Department of Commerce. census.gov