Business Valuations for Divorce and Separation in Manitoba
When a divorce or separation involves a private business, the value of that business can shape the whole settlement. Acadia Hill prepares independent valuations for matrimonial and family law matters, working with spouses and their counsel to give both sides a conclusion they can examine and understand.
Or call 204-951-4751
Which Report Do You Need?
| Stage of the file | Usual report |
|---|---|
| Early settlement discussions | Calculation |
| Contested file | Estimate |
| Complex file, or heading to trial | Comprehensive |
The right level depends on the file. Read the guide to choosing a report.
For Spouses, Business Owners and Family Law Counsel
One spouse may know what the company earns but not what its shares are worth. The other may have seen family income from the business without ever seeing its records. A useful valuation gives both people the same evidence and explains how it supports the conclusion.
We determine value under the agreed instructions. Your family law counsel addresses how the law applies to your circumstances, including the valuation date and what enters the property accounting.
What a Family Law Valuation Should Do
Remain independent. The conclusion follows the financial evidence, whichever spouse supplied it or paid the invoice.
Value the right interest. The shares and the date being valued are confirmed with counsel before work begins.
Show the reasoning. Readers can trace the conclusion from the financial records through each significant adjustment.
Keep the work proportionate. The scope follows the uncertainties that could change the settlement.
Family Law Valuation Services
The right arrangement depends on the questions in dispute and how the work will be used. We can discuss the options with you and your counsel before an engagement begins.
Family Property Valuations
Independent valuations of private business interests for a Manitoba property accounting, including at an earlier date such as when a relationship began.
Joint Valuations
One valuator retained by both spouses, with the process, fees and information sharing set out in writing.
Separate Opinions
An independent valuation for one spouse, prepared to the same professional standards.
Report Reviews
A focused review of an existing valuation report, where a second full valuation may not be needed.
Equipment Appraisals
Appraisals of trucks, machinery and other equipment that fit within the wider business valuation.
Income Analysis for Child Support
Analysis of corporate earnings, owner payments and business cash needs, for parents who own a corporation.
Expert Testimony
Testimony on a report prepared by Acadia Hill, where a file goes to court.
Mediation and Collaborative Files
Valuation evidence that both spouses and their advisers can work from outside of court.
Peter Fast, CBV, CPPA
Peter Fast is a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) and a Canadian Personal Property Appraiser (CPPA), with more than 10 years of professional experience in valuation, appraisal and advisory work. He personally prepares the report.
Every conclusion is independent and objective, whichever spouse or lawyer retains him. About Peter Fast.
Working With Counsel
Turnaround. About four to six weeks for an Estimate report, from complete documents.
Joint retainers. Communication runs through counsel, both sides receive everything, and fees are shared.
Documents. See what we usually request.
Direct line. 204-951-4751
Family Law Valuation Guides
Plain-language guides to the questions that come up when a business is part of a separation in Manitoba.
Getting Started
My Spouse Owns a Business: What the Valuation Will Look At
A plain-language starting point if you are not the one running the company.
What Documents You’ll Need, and Why
Which records matter, what each one shows, and how to organize the package.
Calculation, Estimate or Comprehensive: Which Report Does a Family Law Matter Need?
How to match the depth of the report to the decision ahead.
Joint Retainer or Two Experts?
One valuator, separate experts or a review of an existing report.
Valuation and Income Issues
How a Business Is Valued Under Manitoba’s Family Property Act
From the property accounting and valuation date to the value of the shares.
Personal vs. Enterprise Goodwill in a Separation
How much of the earnings could pass to a successor, and how much depends on the owner.
Notional Taxes and Selling Costs: Why the Report Shows Them Separately
What these amounts measure, and what to check before using a net figure.
Valuing a Business at the Start of Cohabitation
Establishing an earlier value when the business predates the relationship.
Equipment in a Family Property File
Choosing among book value, asking prices and market evidence.
Shareholder Loans and Family Property
Who owes whom, and how the balance affects the value of the shares.
Income for Child Support When You Own a Corporation
How corporate earnings, dividends and family payments are examined.
Valuing Particular Businesses
Valuing a Farm in a Manitoba Separation
Ownership, land and equipment, inventory and settlement funding.
Valuing a Dental Practice in a Separation
Share rules, clinical compensation, patient retention and the lease.
Valuing a Trucking Company in a Separation
Margins, the fleet and its financing, and customer continuity.
Valuing a Construction Company in a Separation
Unfinished work, backlog, holdbacks and bonding.
Valuing a Restaurant in a Separation
Sales records, owner pay, the lease and goodwill.
How a Family Law Valuation Works
Confidential Intake
Discuss the business, the relevant dates and the questions counsel needs answered.
Scope and Engagement
Agree the interest being valued, the report level, the fee and how information will be shared.
Records and Analysis
Review the records, test the significant adjustments and raise any gaps early.
Report
Deliver a conclusion with the reasoning, assumptions and limitations clearly stated.
What a Family Law Valuation Costs
An Estimate report is the usual choice once a file is contested. The final fee depends on the complexity of the business, the quality of the records and how the report will be used.
Calculation Report
From $5,500
Estimate Report
From $8,000
Comprehensive Report
From $13,000
Income for Support
From $3,000
Report Reviews
From $4,000
Testimony
$250 per hour
Report fees are fixed once the scope is agreed. Testimony and changes in scope are billed by the hour.
Common Questions About Family Law Valuations
Does the business have to be sold?
No. A property accounting does not automatically require the business to be sold or the shares divided. Your counsel can explain how the value enters the accounting.
What valuation date applies?
Spouses or common-law partners can agree on valuation dates under The Family Property Act. Without agreement, the Act generally uses the date they last cohabited. Counsel should confirm the date before work begins.
Can one valuator work for both spouses?
Yes, where both can agree on the assignment, provide access to the records and accept a fair process for raising questions. Retaining a valuator jointly is different from agreeing in advance to accept the value as binding.
Is a valuation the same as income for support?
No. A valuation estimates what an ownership interest is worth at a date, while an income analysis examines amounts relevant to support over a period. They can use the same records but need different adjustments.
What if the records are incomplete?
Raise it early. We identify what can be supported and what remains uncertain. A lower report level does not automatically solve a serious gap in the evidence.
Do you provide legal advice?
No. We provide the valuation and financial analysis. Questions about your rights and how the law applies belong with your family law counsel.
How long does it take?
An Estimate report usually takes about four to six weeks from complete documents. Timing depends on the business, the report level and how quickly records arrive.
Who pays in a joint retainer?
Fees are shared. The engagement letter sets out each spouse's share before work begins.
Can you testify?
Yes. Testimony on a report we prepared is billed hourly at $250.
Do you work outside Winnipeg?
Yes. We work with spouses and counsel across Manitoba, including Brandon, Steinbach, Winkler, Morden, Dauphin and Portage la Prairie. For farm files, see Valuing a Farm in a Manitoba Separation.
Talk to a CBV about your file
A free, confidential first conversation about the business, the report you need and what it will cost.