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Legal Issues
How do you determine the value of a law firm? This particular one has a $1.4 million dollar contract with the county and also gets private referrals.
My wife wants a divorce and says her law firm is worth nothing because it has no assets. Her cash flow is huge and she has a guaranteed contract to do third-level public defender work for the county where she works.

Asked by mcarbone
Posted: Friday, September 12, 2008  |  Found in Legal Issues


More answers by Nina Kaufman
Answer by Nina Kaufman
Law firms can be difficult to value. You have to take into account the hard assets and the practice sources for immediate revenue.

However, the valuation for divorce purposes may be different from a valuation for business-sale purposes because. as a non-attorney (I'm assuming), you cannot be an owner of her practice.

In addition, if she is a sole practitioner, there's no business without her active involvement. Speak to a divorce attorney and a professional services valuation specialist to get the guidance you need on how to handle the financial issues between you and your wife.
Nina Kaufman has a New York City-based boutique law practice and is president of Wise Counsel Press LLC, which produces legal information products for entrepreneurs. She writes the Making It Legal blog and the Business Law Advisor column for WomenEntrepreneur.com.

Note: This response is for your general information only. Be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your particular situation to get the advice you need.



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