The importance of independence and objectivity

For business owners in the midst of divorce proceedings or some type of partnership dispute, a judge or arbiter can often order them to clearly establish the value of all their business assets. In many industries – construction, cash-rent farming, medical imaging and trucking, for example –  the entity’s machinery and equipment is often the most valuable category of assets.

Unfortunately in these situations, business owners can easily hide assets from spouses or partners not directly involved in the business. This is why it’s important for legal counsel representing non-management owners or absentee partners to engage an experienced, independent appraiser as early as possible to create a verified record of the assets. 

For attorneys representing active owners or management parties, it’s equally important to engage an experienced, independent M&E appraiser. Doing so helps reduce or prevent  accusations of undervaluing assets – and it helps ensure that any extravagant value claims made by non-management owners are mitigated in court.

The bottom line? It doesn’t matter which side of these types of dispute a client may find themself on. Our strong reputation for independent, high-quality appraisals and experience in expert witness testimony in litigation means we can be trusted to provide fair, objective valuations. We take the stand with competence and confidence to ensure our clients are not treated unfairly in the valuation of business assets.