Forensic accounting for family, partition & co-ownership disputes
When the deed says 50/50 and the bank records say otherwise.
Fixed-fee forensic accounting for solo and small firms. Years of commingled statements become a source-traced ledger, equity models, and exhibits you can file, without the $20,000+ national-firm engagement.
Matters we handle
- Unequal contributions to jointly titled property
- Commingled accounts
- Post-separation carrying costs
- Hidden or unreported business income
- Co-owner credits in inherited property
- Partner buyouts in closely held businesses
Built for firms without a forensic department down the hall
LitigAid is for trial lawyers who know the facts are on their side but don't have the hours to untangle years of bank records, co-owner contributions, or shifting testimony.
High-stakes disputes
Family law, real estate, partition, or civil matters where the financial answer changes the result.
Follow the money
Your client's story turns on “who paid what, and when” or “where did the money go.”
Right-sized fees
A $20,000+ national forensic engagement doesn't fit the case. Back-of-the-envelope math won't survive it either.
You Focus On
Strategy, Evidence & Advocacy
LitigAid Handles
Numbers, Structure & Visual Clarity
Exhibits that make the point before you finish the sentence
Four deliverable formats, shown with anonymized, illustrative figures. Each answers a question the court will actually ask.
Party B distribution under four equity frameworks. Which framework the court adopts moves more money than any single disputed line item.
Illustrative. Gross equity available for distribution: $564,000.
Contested issues ranked by dollar impact, with cumulative share. Two issues carry 78% of the money at stake — that is where trial time goes.
Cumulative contributions over the life of the property. After the cutoff date, Party B's line goes flat — every dollar from that point is Party A's.
Contributions by category. The disparity is not driven by one anomalous payment — it holds across every category, which forecloses the obvious rebuttal.
Two tiers, one standard of rigor
Start with a focused fixed-fee analysis. Step up to LitigAid Pro when tracing drives the outcome. Both are CPA-prepared and built for court.
LitigAid
Fixed-fee packages for financially complex cases
Property & Equity Modeling
Use when unequal contributions, refinances, or post-separation payments make '50/50' the wrong answer.
What You Get
- Clean, annotated Excel model separating down payment, principal, interest, and improvements.
- 2–3 equity scenarios (contract-based, statutory, and title-baseline).
- Short plain-English summary for pleadings and mediation.
Tracing & Money Map Analysis
Use when accounts are commingled and each side has a different story about total contributions.
What You Get
- Tracing of inflows and outflows across defined accounts.
- Categorization of key transactions (capital vs operating, loan vs gift).
- Concise “money map” with totals by party, plus charts for exhibits.
Credibility & Contradiction Charts
Use when the record contains contradictions, but counsel does not have time to chart them.
What You Get
- Side-by-side contradiction charts comparing RFAs and testimony.
- Chronological timeline tying facts to specific documents.
- Short list of top contradictions for cross-examination.
LitigAidPro
For DC/MD/VA divorce and co-ownership matters where asset tracing drives the outcome
Tier 1
Contribution Ledger & Core Tracing
For matters that need a defensible accounting and contribution ratios.
- Master ledger capturing every property-related payment by date, payor, and category.
- Periodized contributions with lifetime ratios and unpaid shares.
- Short findings memo summarizing contributions and leverage points.
Tier 2
Equity Models & Declaration
For contested asset divisions where alternative equity splits need to be framed for court.
- Multi-model equity workbook (contribution-weighted, waterfall, title-baseline).
- Optional appreciation overlays for post-cutoff gains.
- Declaration-style narrative explaining methodology and results.
Tier 3
Trial-Ready Strategy Package
For high-conflict, high-dollar cases that require a clear story and issue hierarchy.
- Issue map ranking contested items by dollar impact.
- Slide decks for mediation/trial including value-leakage analysis.
- Focus sheet identifying key exhibits and time allocation.
Know the fee before the work starts
Fixed fees, quoted after a scoping call. No hourly meter, no surprise invoices.
LitigAid core
$2,500–$7,500
Typical fixed fee for a core engagement.
LitigAid Pro tiers
$5,000–$15,000
Tiers 1–3, depending on scope and record volume.
Quick consult
$350/hr
Advisory questions outside a full engagement; 30-minute minimum. The 20-minute scoping call is complimentary.
How the analysis changes the case
Two anonymized engagements and one illustrative example built from the sample charts above.
Unequal Contributions in Jointly Titled Property
Illustrative scenario using the sample-chart figures: one spouse contributed 92% of capital toward a jointly titled investment property over 8 years. The other's position: 50/50 split based on title. The analysis traces every payment to source accounts.
A contribution ledger and timeline put roughly $280K in play between a title-based split and one that reflects actual contributions, which is the number mediation turns on.
Partner Buyout with Disputed Valuations
Minority partner claimed majority partner manipulated financials to suppress buyout value. Three years of QuickBooks data, bank statements, and conflicting expert reports.
Our contradiction chart identified 14 material inconsistencies in opposing expert's methodology. Case settled at arbitration for $380K—85% of client's target.
Siblings Disputing Inherited Property Contributions
Three siblings inherited rental properties. One sibling managed properties for 12 years, claiming credits for repairs, mortgage payments, and management. Others disputed amounts.
Master ledger with 400+ line items, organized by property and year. Parties used our models to negotiate partition terms without trial.
From shoebox to exhibit in five steps
Most LitigAid engagements finish 2–3 weeks after the records arrive.
Scoping Call
A short call on the case, the disputed numbers, and the records that exist.
Fixed-Fee Proposal
Scope, deliverables, and one flat fee in writing. No open-ended hourly meter.
Secure Exchange
Records arrive through your preferred secure channel. Gaps are flagged before analysis starts.
Drafts With Counsel
You review the draft model with every assumption explained. The presentation fits your strategy.
Final Outputs
Excel models, tables, and visuals that drop into pleadings, mediation statements, and trial notebooks.
Before you call
The questions family and partition counsel ask most. Expert witness questions are in the full FAQ.
How long does a typical engagement take?
Most LitigAid engagements complete in 2–3 weeks from document receipt. LitigAid Pro projects typically run 3–5 weeks depending on complexity. Rush turnarounds are available for pending deadlines.
What documents do you need to start?
At minimum: bank statements for relevant accounts, settlement statements, mortgage documents, and any existing discovery responses. Download the document checklist for the full list, and I'll provide a case-specific version after our scoping call.
What's your pricing structure?
All LitigAid engagements are fixed-fee, quoted after a scoping call. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices. You'll know the complete cost before we begin. Typical core engagements range from $2,500 to $7,500; Pro tiers range from $5,000 to $15,000.
Can you review opposing expert reports?
Absolutely. I regularly review and critique opposing expert reports, identifying methodological weaknesses, unsupported assumptions, and calculation errors. This is often included in LitigAid Pro Tier 2 and 3 engagements. See how I read an opposing report.
What if I just need a quick consultation?
I offer a complimentary 20-minute scoping call to assess whether your matter is a fit. For quick advisory questions outside a full engagement, I offer hourly consulting at $350/hour with 30-minute minimums.
Do you provide expert testimony?
Testimony services are scoped separately and quoted after understanding the trial schedule and expected examination topics. For matters that need a designated expert from the start, see the Expert Witness practice.
Notes for family and partition counsel
Short, practical notes for counsel. All insights →
How contribution ratios actually get computed
Three choices move a contribution ratio more than any single payment: how you categorize, who you attribute, and where you cut off.
Read the note → Virginia PracticeVirginia partition: why documentation drives the leverage
Partition doesn't always end with “sell it and split by title.” When contributions come into play, the party with the organized ledger negotiates from a different position.
Read the note → DocumentationWhen a deed and a written agreement tell different stories
Whether a later deed overrides an earlier co-ownership agreement is a legal question. What the parties actually did afterward is a financial one.
Read the note → Maryland PracticeTracing non-marital funds in a Maryland divorce: what the records have to show
“The down payment came from my inheritance” is only as strong as the paper trail from the inheritance to the closing table. Here is what that trail looks like.
Read the note →Have a case where the math is the argument?
If the financial story is complicated and a full-scale forensic engagement isn't in the budget, send a short description. You'll know within one business day whether we're a fit.
Conflicts are checked before we discuss the merits of any matter.