The common approach to this issue is for the business to be valued as part of the divorce process by a forensic accountant who is appointed by both parties’ solicitors. They can also be asked to provide an opinion on other important factors that should be borne in mind when considering a business case, such as issues of liquidity and whether one spouse can draw significant sums from a business to meet a financial settlement.
In some divorces, there may be concern that one spouse is hiding money through the business or through a group of companies. In those cases an expert accountant will need to be instructed to thoroughly investigate that spouses' business affairs.