Epstein Credits: An Overview

In 1979, the landmark California Supreme Court case, “In Re Marriage of Epstein,” established guidelines for reimbursements of separate property payments (normally from post-separation earnings) on community property debt. As a customary rule, courts may reimburse a spouse if that spouse used post-separation earnings or other separate funds subsequent to separation to pay for pre-existing…

Evaluating Law Practices Involved in a Divorce Matter (Part 1)

The following is an excerpt from “Income Reconstruction: A Guide to Discovering Unreported Income,” published by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. It provides insight into how a Forensic Accountant would trace nondisclosed income in one particular type of business. Overview of Law Practices:Reporting Income It is important to understand how law practices account…

Gross Cash Flow and Business Valuation Issues: Analyzing Perquisites (Part 2)

In some cases, it can be difficult to determine which expenses should be considered as personal or business. There are business owners who are particularly sophisticated in their understanding of financial accounting methods and who may intentionally conceal personal expenses while claiming them as ordinary and necessary business expenses. For example, in a recent case…