Business Appraisal for Divorce Purposes

In Massachusetts, the rules for performing a professional business appraisal during divorce proceedings have changed. If you need an expert to provide business valuation and/or expert testimony for dissolution of marriage, the 2007 landmark Mass. SJC case of Bernier v. Bernier  may have far reaching implications. This interesting case sets forth the court’s opinions regarding many factors that may not be used in a business valuation or appraisal that’s intended use is other than divorce. While this dissertation is intended to touch upon the main issues of Bernier, caution must be applied, as it may not be applicable in all cases.


George & Company consists of veterans who have provided hundreds of divorce appraisals. Many times, counsel for both sides will stipulate to our expert opinion to save time and money. That said, counsel still has a fiduciary responsibility to advocate the interests of their own client. Our George & Company valuation experts of Massachusetts pay careful attention to their professional ethics, not the interests of either party. After over 30 years of providing certified business appraisals and valuations to Massachusetts and New Hampshire courts, it is interesting to note that we have represented husbands and wives on a nearly equal basis. No one law firm accounts for more than 2% of our annual income. We are known to advocate our opinion of value, not the opinion of the client or their attorneys. In short, we will never be a “hired gun.”

Other benefits from hiring George & Company:

  • Life member of The Institute of Business Appraisers, Inc.
  • Qualified and testified in many family court cases
  • Provided hundreds of divorce business appraisals for settlement or mediation purposes
  • Excellent presentation on the witness stand
  • In possession of thousands of empirical “sold business” statistics
  • Practicing business valuation for divorce cases since 1986