24-Hour Appraisals for Divorce and Legal Separation
Current or date-of-separation values for buyouts, mediation and settlement talks.
In a California divorce the family home is often the largest community asset, and settlement talks stall until someone puts a credible number on the table. Cwift prepares independent desktop appraisals for spouses, attorneys and mediators, whether you need a current value, a date-of-separation value or both.
Hearings and mediations don't wait for appraisals
Mediation sessions, settlement conferences and disclosure deadlines usually get calendared before anyone thinks to order an appraisal. A report that arrives within 24 hours lets you negotiate from evidence instead of a guess.
How family-law clients use the value
- Calculating a buyout when one spouse keeps the house.
- Equalizing a property division with other assets or payments.
- Deciding whether to sell the home or keep it.
- Supporting a settlement proposal or a mediator's recommendation.
- Values on more than one date, since California Family Code §2552 generally values community assets near the time of trial but lets the court choose another date for good cause.
What to send
- The valuation date or dates: current and/or date of separation
- Photos from either spouse; tell us if access to the home is limited
- Any agreed facts about upgrades, repairs or damage
- The attorney's or mediator's name if they will rely on the report
Send photos with your order through the upload page, or attach them to a reply to your confirmation email.
Is a desktop appraisal right for this?
Desktop appraisals work well for negotiation, mediation and agreed buyouts, where both sides mainly need an independent figure built from real sales.
If the case is headed to trial and the other side may challenge every assumption, an inspection-based appraisal with expert testimony can be the stronger tool. Brian provides those through Brian Ward Appraisal.
Prepared for every purpose on this site. Brian Ward has prepared desktop appraisals for every purpose listed on this site. Some situations still call for an inspection-based appraisal, so check with your attorney or tax advisor before you order to be sure a desktop report fits your matter.
Questions
My spouse lives in the house and won't let anyone in. Can you still appraise it?
Usually, yes. Public records, prior listing photos and your own knowledge of the home are often enough for a credible desktop appraisal, and the report states what it relied on.
Can the appraisal be used in court?
Reports are prepared under USPAP and signed by a certified appraiser, and Brian has testified as an expert witness in family law matters. Whether a desktop report is the right exhibit for your hearing is a question for your attorney.
Often ordered alongside
Family Transfers & Co-Owner Buyouts
A fair, documented price when a home changes hands inside the family.
24-hour details →
Bankruptcy
Home values for Chapter 7 and 13 schedules, exemptions and plan math.
24-hour details →
Trust & Estate Administration
Certified values for trustees and executors: accountings, distributions and trust sales.
24-hour details →Need this appraisal by this time tomorrow?
Start the order now. Payment and photos start the 24-hour clock, any day of the week.