Legal disputes

The scope of work is defined by the legal question. The appraiser works with counsel to establish the appraisal's purpose, the required effective date, the applicable standard of value, and any jurisdiction-specific requirements before the analysis begins.

The effective date is often retrospective. Disputes over estates, marital assets, takings, and contract breaches typically require value as of a past date, which means reconstructing market conditions and property condition as they existed at that time.

The appraiser may also serve as an expert witness. Beyond producing the report, litigation work can include deposition and trial testimony, rebuttal of opposing valuations, and consultation on the valuation issues in the case.

In litigation, an appraisal is only as good as its ability to survive attack. Opposing counsel will probe the comparable selection, the adjustments, the assumptions, and the appraiser's qualifications, and any weakness becomes a weapon against your position.

Defensibility comes from methodology and documentation. A litigation-grade report follows USPAP scrupulously, supports every adjustment with market evidence, discloses its assumptions clearly, and reconciles its approaches transparently, leaving little room for effective challenge.

The appraiser's credibility matters as much as the report. Credentials, commercial experience, and prior testimony history all affect the weight a court gives the opinion, which is why choosing an appraiser experienced in legal work is itself a strategic decision.