For individuals
A clear, independent view of what the business is worth
If a business is part of your separation, the value placed on it matters to both of you. We do not take sides. We work out a supportable value from the evidence and explain it in plain language, so you know what the business is worth, how that figure was reached and what happens next.
Our role
We do not take sides. We explain.
Separation is difficult enough without a number that nobody can explain. Our role is to determine a supportable value from the available evidence, not to produce the highest or lowest figure for either party. That is true whether you own the business, your former partner owns it, or you own it together.
The report is written for both of you and for your advisers. Every adjustment, assumption and conclusion in it can be traced back to the documents and the reasoning, so it can be read, questioned and tested. You may not like the figure. You will understand it, and so will the other side.
What to expect
- 1
You tell us about the matter
The confidential enquiry asks about the business, how it is owned, what the valuation is for and where things stand. It also asks for your former partner's name and their solicitor, if they have one, so that we can check for conflicts before anything else. Submitting it does not commit you to anything.
- 2
We confirm the scope and the fee
We tell you whether the Settlement Valuation fits, or whether your matter needs an expert report for court. For a Settlement Valuation the fee is fixed at $2,995 + GST and the engagement letter records what will be valued and at what date. Nothing is charged until you accept it.
- 3
You provide the documents
We send a checklist and confirm how to provide the documents. Business documents only: financial statements, tax returns, management accounts and the documents that show who owns what. If you do not have something, tell us; your lawyer can advise on how to obtain documents held by the other party.
- 4
You receive the report
We analyse the business and value the interest. For a Settlement Valuation you receive a draft to check for factual errors, then the signed final report. Generally seven business days after payment and receipt of all required information, subject to complexity.
Fees
What it costs
Settlement Valuation: $2,995 + GST, fixed fee
For private negotiations, mediation and property-settlement discussions. The Settlement Valuation is prepared for negotiation and mediation purposes. It is not prepared for filing or reliance as expert evidence in court. About the Settlement Valuation.
Court Expert Valuation: from $8,995 + GST
For matters that need an expert report for court. Subject to conflict checking, scope review, suitable instructions and expert acceptance, with the final fee confirmed in writing before work begins. Court attendance and additional expert work are separately charged. About the Court Expert Valuation.
All fees exclude GST. See the fees page for what each includes and what is charged separately.
Documents
What you will need to gather
You do not need everything before you enquire. Once the scope is confirmed we send a checklist, which generally covers:
- Financial statements and tax returns for the business for recent years, usually the last three
- Current-year management accounts, or a recent profit and loss and balance sheet
- The documents that show how the business is owned: company extract, trust deed, partnership agreement or shareholder agreement
- Details of business loans, leases and any money owed to or by the owner
- A short description of what the business does, who works in it and what the owner does day to day
Please do not send affidavits, court documents, personal correspondence or medical or other personal evidence until we have completed the conflict check and asked for them. More on the documents needed.
The limits of our role
What we cannot do
It helps to be clear about the limits of our role.
Give legal advice
We are a valuation practice, not a law firm. How the property pool is divided, what you should accept and how your matter should be run are questions for your lawyer.
Choose the number
You cannot instruct us to arrive at a particular figure, and neither can the other party. The value is what the evidence supports.
Act for you
We do not negotiate for you, argue your case or advocate for one side. Our independence is what makes the report useful to you.
Verify what we have not seen
The valuation relies on the documents provided. Where something is missing, the report says so. We cannot investigate hidden assets or income; that is forensic work, which is separately scoped where it is needed.
Value everything in the pool
We value the business or ownership interest. The home, superannuation, vehicles and personal assets are dealt with separately.
Tell you what you will receive
The value of the business is one input into the settlement. How it is divided depends on matters outside the valuation, and your lawyer will advise on that.
Expert evidence
When your lawyer may recommend an expert report
If your matter is before the Court, or your lawyer expects it will be, the value of the business may need to be established by expert evidence. In that case the Settlement Valuation is not the right tool, because it is not prepared for filing or reliance as expert evidence in court. Your lawyer may recommend a Court Expert Valuation. In many matters the parties agree, or the Court orders, that one expert will value the business for both sides. Whether that applies to your matter is for your lawyer to advise.
If you have already had a Settlement Valuation: If your matter later requires an expert report for court, we will assess whether the initial work can be carried forward and provide a separate quotation before proceeding. The appointed expert must independently review the material and may require further information or analysis.
Two services, two purposes
A Settlement Valuation ($2,995 + GST, fixed fee) is prepared for negotiation, mediation and property-settlement discussions. A Court Expert Valuation (from $8,995 + GST) is prepared for matters that need an expert report for court. They are different tools for different situations, and the appropriate one depends on where your matter is and what the report will be used for.
For negotiation and mediation
Settlement Valuation
A fixed-fee independent business valuation for private negotiations, mediation and property-settlement discussions.
Fee
$2,995 + GST
Fixed fee, payable in advance.
- $2,995 + GST
- For negotiation and mediation
- Fixed scope
- Written independent report
- Generally completed within seven business days
- Not prepared as court evidence
For court proceedings
Court Expert Valuation
An independent expert report for matters where a valuation is intended for filing or reliance in court.
Fee
from $8,995 + GST
Final fee confirmed in writing after scope and conflict review, payable in advance.
- From $8,995 + GST
- For court proceedings
- Court-compliant expert report
- Subject to instructions and conflict review
- Signing valuer will be a Chartered Accountant
- Additional expert work charged separately
If your matter later requires an expert report for court, we will assess whether the initial work can be carried forward and provide a separate quotation before proceeding. The appointed expert must independently review the material and may require further information or analysis. See the fees page
The Settlement Valuation fee is not automatically credited against a Court Expert Valuation. Unnecessary duplication is avoided where appropriate, but the appointed expert must independently review the material, control the analysis and form their own opinion.
FAQs
Questions people ask us
My former partner owns the business. Can I ask for a valuation?
Yes. Either party can instruct a Settlement Valuation, and it is often instructed jointly so that both sides receive the same report. If you do not have access to the business documents, your lawyer can advise on how they are obtained. The report values the business from the documents provided and says clearly where anything is missing.
I own the business. Will the valuation be used against me?
The valuation is used by both parties, and it is prepared the same way whoever instructs it. It takes into account the things owners often feel are overlooked: what you actually earn for the work you do, how much of the business depends on you personally, the debt, and the working capital the business needs. It also takes into account the things the other party may feel are overlooked, such as private expenses paid through the business. A reasoned figure that both sides can test tends to shorten the argument rather than lengthen it.
Do I need a lawyer to instruct you?
Not for a Settlement Valuation. You can instruct us directly, and many people do. We still recommend that you have a lawyer advise you on your settlement, because the value of the business is only one part of it, and questions about how the pool is divided are legal questions we cannot answer. Where a report is needed for court, it proceeds on instructions, usually through the lawyers.
What if the business is worth less, or more, than we thought?
Then the report will say so and show why. Owners are often surprised to find that a business which provides a good income has limited value to a purchaser, because the income depends on them. Others are surprised the other way. The figure is what the evidence supports; what you do with it is a matter for you and your lawyer.
Will you talk to my former partner?
Not unless you authorise it or the valuation is jointly instructed. In a joint instruction we correspond with both sides equally. In a single-party instruction we deal with you and, where you authorise it, your lawyer or accountant, and we do not contact the other party.
How much of the business value is mine?
That is a legal question, and your lawyer will advise on it. The report tells you what the business, or the interest in it, is worth. How that value is divided between you depends on matters outside the valuation.
Is my enquiry confidential?
Yes. Every enquiry is treated as confidential from the moment it arrives, and the conflict check is completed before your matter is discussed in detail. We do not contact anyone you have not authorised. Our privacy policy sets out how your information is handled.
What information do you need to start?
Business documents only at first: financial statements and tax returns for recent years, current management accounts, and the documents that show who owns what, such as a company extract, trust deed or partnership agreement. We send a checklist once the scope is confirmed. Please do not send affidavits, court documents, personal correspondence, medical records or other personal evidence until we have completed the conflict check and asked for them.
Can I tell you what number I need?
You can tell us what you expect and why, and that context can be useful. It does not change the method or the conclusion. A valuation that is steered towards a preferred figure is of no use in a negotiation and of no use to a court, because the other side will test it. What you receive is a reasoned figure with the working shown.
I do not know which service I need. What should I do?
Complete the confidential enquiry and choose "Not sure" for the service. Tell us whether the matter is before the Court, whether a single expert has been agreed or ordered, and what the valuation will be used for. We complete an initial conflict and scope assessment and tell you which service fits, or that a quotation is needed, before anything begins. Submission of the form does not create an engagement.
For individuals
Start with a confidential enquiry
Tell us about the business and what the valuation is for. We confirm the scope and the fee before anything begins.
Submission of the enquiry form does not create an engagement.