The traditional forensic engagement is hourly, staffed by a team, and priced for commercial litigation. For a partition dispute or a divorce with one contested property, a $20,000+ engagement is out of proportion to the money at stake. The alternative is not less rigor. It is a defined scope.
What drives the price
- Accounts. Each account is a set of statements to obtain, read, and categorize.
- Years. The period from acquisition to the valuation date. A twelve-year history costs more than a three-year one.
- Format. Native PDF statements from the bank can be processed quickly. Photographs of paper statements cannot.
- Questions. A contribution ratio alone is one engagement. Ratio plus tracing plus equity models is another.
- Deliverable. A spreadsheet, a findings memo, a declaration-style narrative, or trial exhibits.
- Deadline. Rush work is possible, and it costs more.
How scoping works
A 20-minute call covers the case, the accounts, the years, and the questions. The fee is then quoted in writing, with the deliverables listed. Core LitigAid engagements typically run $2,500 to $7,500, and LitigAid Pro tiers $5,000 to $15,000. Testimony, if it is later needed, is scoped separately once the trial schedule is known.
What to send first
Settlement statements, bank statements for the accounts in play, lender statements, and any discovery responses already exchanged. The document checklist lists the six categories that determine how fast an engagement moves.
How to keep the fee down
- Request statements from the bank in native PDF rather than photographing paper.
- Give the exact list of accounts and the date range up front.
- Decide which questions matter before the engagement starts, not halfway through.
- Send discovery responses that already exist, so the analysis does not duplicate them.