Sanli Pastore & Hill's CEO, Founder and Managing Director in Chicago, Thomas Pastore, recently discussed the firm's unique role in helping clients navigate the financial complexities of both marital and shareholder divorces on a podcast.
With over three decades of experience in forensic accounting and business valuation, the firm brings structure, transparency, and clarity to what are often high-stakes, emotionally charged proceedings.
Bringing Clarity to Marital and Shareholder Divorce
Whether in the context of a dissolving marriage or a fractured business partnership, the financial disentanglement of two parties can be challenging and highly nuanced. Sanli Pastore & Hill specializes in identifying, analyzing, and valuing the assets and income streams involved in these separations, delivering objective, data-driven insights that inform fair outcomes.
In equitable distribution states like Illinois, the firm conducts in-depth analyses to determine the relative contribution of each party to the growth and maintenance of marital or joint business assets. In community property states, a more direct 50/50 split may apply, but valuation remains essential to establishing accurate asset values.
The same valuation principles also apply in shareholder disputes where co-owners of a business must divide interests or facilitate a buyout due to irreconcilable differences. In both scenarios, the firm's expertise ensures a clear financial picture that supports settlement, mediation, or litigation.
When and Why Valuation Experts Are Engaged
Sanli Pastore & Hill is typically engaged at the outset of divorce or partnership dissolution proceedings. Early involvement ensures a timely and accurate financial foundation upon which legal strategies can be built. The firm works alongside attorneys to provide a valuation of businesses, analysis of income streams, and forensic accounting services, all of which are essential in determining equitable distributions and support arrangements.
The firm's work is critical not only in courtroom trials, but also during mediation and arbitration proceedings. In some cases, parties agree in advance to use a single valuation expert. In others, Sanli Pastore & Hill provides analysis on behalf of one side, with findings subject to comparison, challenge, or negotiation.
The Business Valuation Process
The valuation of a business – particularly in the context of a divorce – involves five core steps:
- Operational Analysis
Reviewing the company's business model, intellectual property, leadership, workforce, and competitive position. - Financial Statement Review
Analyzing historical financial performance over five to seven years, as well as forward-looking budgets or projections. - Industry Analysis
Assessing competition, consumer behavior, and any disruptive technologies that may influence the company's future. - Macroeconomic Assessment
Evaluating how inflation, employment trends, interest rates, and broader economic factors affect the business. - Valuation Methodologies
Applying one or more of the three primary approaches:
- Income Approach: Capitalizing earnings or discounted cash flow analysis.
- Market Approach: Benchmarking against transactions involving comparable private or public companies.
- Asset Approach: Assigning fair value to physical and intangible assets, typically reserved for asset-intensive businesses.
Forensic Accounting: A Critical Foundation
Forensic accounting underpins the firm's valuation work. Particularly in privately held businesses where financials are unaudited, detailed forensic reviews are essential to ensure accuracy and completeness. Sanli Pastore & Hill examines banking activity, transactional data, and supporting records to uncover discrepancies, unreported income, or personal expenses embedded in business operations.
The firm also identifies and adjusts for non-operating expenditures such as luxury vehicles, personal travel, or family members on the payroll who are not actively employed. These adjustments are critical in determining the true profitability of the business and arriving at a credible, court-defensible valuation.
Communicating Findings and Supporting Resolution
Throughout the process, Sanli Pastore & Hill maintains ongoing collaboration with legal teams and clients. Frequent meetings (often monthly or quarterly) keep all parties aligned, ensure discovery remains on track, and allow the firm to share updates on findings and unresolved information requests.
Valuation conclusions may be used to inform settlement negotiations, support mediation, or be presented as expert testimony in trial. Where opposing experts' valuations are reasonably aligned, judges often encourage settlement based on the midpoint. In cases with more significant discrepancies, the firm's expert witnesses are fully prepared to defend their findings through deposition and trial proceedings.
A National Practice Built on Experience
While Sanli Pastore & Hill maintains a strong presence in Illinois and California, its practice spans the United States. The firm's team is experienced in navigating variations in state laws, particularly the distinction between community property and equitable distribution jurisdictions. Typically, the applicable state law is based on the couple's or business's domicile, though cross-border issues may arise in more complex cases, an area where the firm often collaborates with IR Global's international legal network.
Why Legal Teams Partner with Sanli Pastore & Hill
Experienced attorneys understand the risks of proceeding without a financial expert. Without forensic analysis and professional valuation, divorcing spouses or business partners may face costly legal battles, unfavorable judgments, or compliance issues. Sanli Pastore & Hill's services are essential not only for building a case, but also for ensuring that resolutions are equitable, transparent, and based on reliable financial data.
Beyond litigation support, the firm maintains long-standing relationships with family law and commercial litigation attorneys, regularly presenting at continuing legal education (CLE) seminars and professional conferences. As part of IR Global, Sanli Pastore & Hill is committed to ongoing collaboration with attorneys and advisors who uphold the highest standards of professional integrity.
Supporting Fair Outcomes in Complex Cases
Divorces – whether personal or business-related – are rarely simple. By delivering objective valuation and forensic insights, Sanli Pastore & Hill supports smoother, more informed resolutions. In a legal landscape where transparency, fairness, and credibility matter, the firm remains a trusted partner to attorneys and clients alike.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
