How does a fraud investigator know when enough investigation has been done on a case? If a scope of work was agreed upon with the client, the investigator should finish that work in order to meet her or his obligations. However, there could come a point in the investigation when …
How do I come up with a fixed fee for a forensic accounting engagement? I’ve been doing fixed fees for almost 23 years, so I’ve developed a pretty good formula. With a fixed fee, a client is paying for a result, rather than buying my time. In most of my …
Forensic accountants are often retained in litigation as expert witnesses, with the intention that they will provide expert opinions and testimony on behalf of the client. Although retention as a consultant is less common, it is an important option to consider. Sometimes, the work of the consultant can be even …
What kinds of things can forensic accountants be involved in relative to construction fraud? A common area of fraud involves a general contractor using funds from a project to fund other projects. Also common is the construction company claiming a project is further along than it really is in order …
It’s important to think about why your clients work with you. It can guide your marketing efforts and it can help you refine your service offerings. My clients like the fact that what they see is what they get. I’m the forensic accountant who will do all the work on …
What questions do you ask a new potential client? Nearly all of my work comes from attorneys, on behalf of their clients. I have two clients: the attorney and his/her client. My questions are pretty much the same no matter which of them I’m talking to on that first phone …
Making complex transactions easy to understand is no small task, but it is part of the job of any good fraud investigator. You can find the most earth-shattering proof of fraud, but if you cannot articulate your findings in a report that others can understand, your investigation results are not …
My favorite part of being a forensic accountant is rebuttal reports. An attorney comes to me with an expert report filed by the other side, which details some sort of economic loss. My job is to analyze that report and poke holes in it. The things I will potentially criticize …
The growth in forensic accounting and fraud investigation specialties has led accounting firms of all sizes to expand their practices to these areas. Experts agree that this practice area will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. Is it as easy as it sounds to add forensic accounting to your …
Family law cases involving complex financial issues often require the assistance of a financial expert for the following issues: Preparing a financial disclosure, including creating a marital balance sheet Comparing balance sheets from period-to-period to evaluate changes in assets and liabilities Analyzing financial disclosures or affidavits prepared by the spouses …
