The Tennessee Appeals Court Affirms the Trial Court’s Decision to Exclude From the Marital Estate Financial Advisor the Husband’s ‘Book of Business’
One of the main issues in this appeal was how to classify the husband’s “book of business,” i.e., his client relationships, assets under management, and related income. The husband was a financial advisor for UBS. The wife contended the book of business had value that constituted a marital asset. The husband pointed out that UBS now took the position that a financial advisor who left the company cannot take any information with him or her. The court also noted that “deferred cash agreements” were actually bonuses that were marital assets. The appellate court affirmed the trial court’s decision to exclude the book of business from marital assets. The court also affirmed the trial court decision on payment of alimony to the wife “in futuro.”
Nothing personal about goodwill in dental practice
In a South Carolina divorce case, the appellate court reversed the family court on the issue of personal versus enterprise goodwill.
Bostick v. Bostick
The South Carolina Court of Appeals, in this divorce case, reversed the family court and included all goodwill of a dentistry practice as enterprise goodwill includable in the marital estate. The family court had included all of the goodwill as personal goodwill not part of the marital estate. The Court of Appeals also reduced the temporary monthly alimony.
Appellate Court Reversed Decision and Treated All Goodwill as Enterprise Goodwill Includable in the Marital Estate
The South Carolina Court of Appeals, in this divorce case, reversed the family court and included all goodwill of a dentistry practice as enterprise goodwill includable in the marital estate. The family court had included all of the goodwill as personal goodwill not part of the marital estate. The Court of Appeals also reduced the temporary monthly alimony.
In re Marriage of Brown
In this Illinois divorce case, the appellate court affirmed the circuit court’s determination of value of the husband’s business by the husband’s expert even though evidence was presented that the expert did not follow the AICPA Business Valuation Standards. Further, the husband’s expert did not consider any enterprise goodwill and used an unorthodox method to determine the value of the business. The wife’s expert asserted that the husband’s expert did not provide a fair market value but rather did a “calculation.” The appellate court also affirmed the circuit court’s decision not to exclude the testimony of the husband’s expert witness.
Illinois Appellate Court Does Not Accept Valuation Including Enterprise Goodwill
In this Illinois divorce case, the appellate court affirmed the circuit court’s determination of value of the husband’s business by the husband’s expert even though evidence was presented that the expert did not follow the AICPA Business Valuation Standards. Further, the husband’s expert did not consider any enterprise goodwill and used an unorthodox method to determine the value of the business. The wife’s expert asserted that the husband’s expert did not provide a fair market value but rather did a “calculation.” The appellate court also affirmed the circuit court’s decision not to exclude the testimony of the husband’s expert witness.
Letter to the Editor: A New Development in Personal Goodwil
Remarks and comments from BVR’s legal editor on a previous article that discussed Florida’s proposed legislation to clarify the value of goodwill in the marital interest of closely held businesses.
How to Explain Personal Goodwill to a Trier of Fact for a Divorce Valuation
This is an excerpt from the author’s upcoming sixth edition of Understanding Business Valuation, which will be available from BVR in early 2022.
Statistical Methodologies for Analyzing Active and Passive Appreciation
A rundown of the existing quantitative models that have been developed that separates the active and passive appreciation of a closely held business involved in a marital dissolution case. The models seek to statistically identify market forces that reasonably cause changes in the value of assets.
Appellate court KOs unaccrued interest on dissipated assets
In a divorce case, an appellate court vacated the order of the trial court that erroneously charged the husband with over $4 million in unaccrued interest on marital assets that the husband fraudulently dissipated from the marital estate.
Florida’s Proposed Change to Goodwill Could Set a Precedent
The Family Law Section of the Florida Bar is proposing legislation to clarify the value of goodwill in the marital interest of closely held businesses. The authors envision that this proposed legislation could set a precedent for future family law matters throughout the United States.
Mohen v. Mohen
In the trial court (TC), the wife was awarded $4,360,158 of mostly unaccrued interest on the corpus of trusts the husband set up unilaterally for the children. The TC took the value of those trusts, $9,291,372, as part of the marital estate. The TC also added $990,945 of interest that the trusts had received and the remaining unaccrued future interest for a total value of “distribution” paid to the husband of $14,642,475 related to the trusts. The appellate court (AC) determined that the future interest was future interest and, thus, not part of the marital estate. However, the AC let stand the determination that the value of the trusts were to be treated as a distribution to the husband.
Husband Dissipates Assets by Placing Them in Trusts for the Children, but the Appellate Court Does Not Allow Unaccrued Interest
In the trial court (TC), the wife was awarded $4,360,158 of mostly unaccrued interest on the corpus of trusts the husband set up unilaterally for the children. The TC took the value of those trusts, $9,291,372, as part of the marital estate. The TC also added $990,945 of interest that the trusts had received and the remaining unaccrued future interest for a total value of “distribution” paid to the husband of $14,642,475 related to the trusts. The appellate court (AC) determined that the future interest was future interest and, thus, not part of the marital estate. However, the AC let stand the determination that the value of the trusts were to be treated as a distribution to the husband.
Asset vs. income approach for valuing goodwill in Tennessee
In Tennessee, personal goodwill is not a marital asset that can be divided between the divorcing parties.
Cela v. Cela
The Appellate Court (AC) upheld the trial court’s decision to accept the value under the income approach adjusted for the exclusion of personal goodwill. The expert for the wife (business owner) had used the asset approach reasoning that all goodwill was personal. The trial court and the AC rejected that approach.
Appellate Court Upholds Decision to Use Income Approach and Reduce Personal Goodwill
The Appellate Court (AC) upheld the trial court’s decision to accept the value under the income approach adjusted for the exclusion of personal goodwill. The expert for the wife (business owner) had used the asset approach reasoning that all goodwill was personal. The trial court and the AC rejected that approach.
Kakollu v. Vadlamudi
In this marital dissolution case, the Indiana Appellate Court affirms the trial court’s decision that no DLOM is allowed in the valuation of a control interest. The husband’s expert failed to provide sufficient evidence that a DLOM was appropriate at the level the wife’s expert claimed. The court also affirmed the decision that $50,000 of legal and expert fees the husband paid in advance is not part of the marital estate and thus not subject to offset.
Court Affirms No DLOM in Valuation of a Control Interest, Wife’s Legal Fees Are Not Part of Marital Estate
In this marital dissolution case, the Indiana Appellate Court affirms the trial court’s decision that no DLOM is allowed in the valuation of a control interest. The husband’s expert failed to provide sufficient evidence that a DLOM was appropriate at the level the wife’s expert claimed. The court also affirmed the decision that $50,000 of legal and expert fees the husband paid in advance is not part of the marital estate and thus not subject to offset.
Personal v. Enterprise Goodwill in Florida Divorce Cases: What the Appellate Courts Say
In the wake of the recent King case, this is an analysis of marital dissolution case law from the Florida Supreme Court and the five District Courts of Appeal (DCA) of Florida that relates to the valuation of personal and enterprise goodwill in that state.
Letter to the Editor: Comments on Using Jensen’s Alpha for Active and Passive Appreciation
This is a Letter to the Editor from Ashok B. Abbott, Ph.D. (West Virginia University), in response to a prior article on segregating passive from active increases in the value of an asset in the context of marital dissolution.
Letter to the Editor: Response to Dr. Abbott’s Comments on Using Jensen’s Alpha for Separating Active and Passive Appreciation
This is a Letter to the Editor from Mark Filler that responds to comments from Dr. Ashok Abbott about Mr. Filler’s prior article on the use of Jensen’s alpha. Dr. Abbott’s comments can be found elsewhere in this issue.
Goodwill analysis ignoring specifics crumbles on appeal
A divorce expert’s failure to link the facts related to a successful insurance company to his personal goodwill analysis was one of the reasons a Florida appeals court recently overturned the trial court’s valuation findings, which, the reviewing court said, were not based on competent, substantial evidence.
Family Matters: Standard of Value, DLOM/DLOC Discounts and Drama in BV
A buried body, sex surrogates, and family-owned business create a dramatic background for a recent court case impacting valuation. With complex minority discounts, this case kicks off a compelling discussion of key issues in family law. Experts Stacey Udell, Neil Beaton, and Ron Seigneur tackle these thorny issues with clarity and comedy. Get treated to the tricks and tips you’ll want when your next family-owned business engagement rings your doorbell.
How to value a business and settle a divorce during COVID-19; divorce professionals share tips
How do you resolve a divorce case during COVID-19, when many businesses in all kinds of industries are coping with significant losses and continuing uncertainty over future performance? This was the topic of an excellent panel discussion that was part of the recent virtual AAML/BVR divorce conference.
Bates v. Bates
In appreciation case, appeals court says it was error to value owner’s separate, minority interest in car dealership based on buy-sell agreement; however, alternate valuation by nonowner spouse’s expert offered based on standard methods, including use of discounts, provided “appropriate valuation.”