John Lawler (Petitioner) Versus Carol Lawler (Respondent) Forensic Accountants’ Positions and Ruling by the Court Presented by Ron J. Anfuso, CPA, ABV, CFF, CDFA, FABFA In the previous newsletter, I discussed the stipulations agreed upon by the parties for this trial, as well as a brief mention of the positions the forensic accountants would need…
Even when couples know that divorce is inevitable, many are afraid to venture forward out of fear that they will not financially survive. Issues such as how to split the assets and divide the cash flow may be of concern, but with the help of neutral financial professionals, those fears can be dispelled, and one…
Ron’s Corner In issue 68 of Forensic Accounting Today, I briefly discussed a case involving reasonable compensation in which I prevailed. This was a complex case involving the purchase of several accounting practices by Petitioner both before and after the couple’s date of separation. I have decided to devote this and at least one following…
Some divorces have complex financial issues. In such cases, a forensic accountant can be called in to analyze financial documents to help divorcing couples in the collaborative process, or in court when litigation is involved, to determine the value of assets and how those assets should be divided. They also assist in decision-making on child and…
When couples begin a marital dissolution and choose the Collaborative Divorce process, we often find that one person is thoroughly knowledgeable about their finances and the other one knows very little. In these cases, one spouse has paid the bills during the marriage and has been in charge of investments. That person has taken care…
Some Financial Considerations You Probably Should Consider I congratulate you and wish you all the best. However, I do want to provide you some important statistical information and advise you to consider protecting your assets just in case sometime in the future your remarriage turns out not to be what you or your future spouse…
In re Marriage of Nakiya Ramsey and Steven Holmes Presented by Ron J. Anfuso, CPA, ABV, CFF, CDFA, FABFA Second Appellate District Background Nakiya Ramsey and Steven Holmes were married in October 2007 and separated in April of 2015. They had two children. The family lived in the home at issue from February 2005 until…
By Ron J. Anfuso, CPA, ABV, CFF, CDFA, FABFA Not all marital dissolution cases require the services of a Forensic Accountant. However, many of the more complicated cases in this ever complex and changing area of law do. Some of the reasons to retain a Forensic Accountant are as follows: When unreported or underreported income…
By Ron J. Anfuso, CPA, ABV, CFF, CDFA, FABFA A new case typically begins with a phone call from a Family Law attorney who needs forensic accounting assistance on a case. My first action is to proceed with an intake procedure to ensure there is no conflict of interest. I ask for: • The client’s…
People choose Collaborative Divorce over traditional litigation when they want the divorce to be more amicable. The hallmark of a Collaborative Divorce is honesty. Both spouses are expected to provide full disclosure about all assets, both those known to be community property and those that they claim are separate property. In rare cases during the…