SHORT ANSWER · DIVORCE
What does a forensic accountant do in a divorce?
A forensic accountant in a divorce rebuilds the money picture from the records: they collect and check the statements, find months and accounts that weren’t produced, trace funds between accounts, and report income, spending and assets for the attorney or the court. In Matter 25-117, that meant proving 18 statements and pairing 212 checks.
THE WORK
What does the work look like, in order?
Most engagements run in this order, though each matter differs. Choosing a tool? See the best divorce forensic accounting software.
- 1
Collect the records
Bank, card and brokerage statements, check images, tax returns and business records, for the period the attorneys set.
- 2
Prove what was produced
Each statement should add up to its printed closing, and each closing should be the next opening. In Matter 25-117, March checking closes at 18,240.55 and May opens at 21,905.10, so April is missing.
- 3
Ask for what is missing
The gaps go back to the attorney as a request. Without them, any total for the period is incomplete.
- 4
Trace and analyze
Follow transfers between accounts, look at spending and income, and test claims such as what is dissipation of assets?
- 5
Report
Schedules and a written report, and sometimes testimony. What weight it gets is up to the court.
ZeraBooks builds the workflow around your matters and your template for free. No development charge, whether it’s a forensic department or one person.
WHERE SOFTWARE HELPS
Which parts can software do?
The data part: reading statements, proving them and flagging gaps. ZeraBooks does that for bank, card, check and brokerage statements and delivers the expert’s own workpaper. The judgment, the report and any testimony stay with the forensic accountant. This isn’t legal advice.
Less time on data entry also changes the bill; see how much does a forensic accountant cost for a divorce?
Who hires the forensic accountant?
Usually one party’s attorney, or both parties jointly, and sometimes the court appoints one. The engagement letter sets who they report to.
Do I need one if our finances are simple?
Often not. They are most useful when there is a business, many accounts, or a question about money that went missing.
How far back do they look?
As far as the attorneys and the case require. Every month in that period needs its statement for the totals to hold.
FREE CUSTOM BUILD
Spend the hours on the analysis.
Not on typing statements.
Send one past matter and see every statement proven and every gap flagged in your own workpaper.