Forensic accounting services that bring clarity to complex disputes
When the numbers are at the heart of a dispute, investigation or valuation, you need answers you can rely on. Our forensic accountants find the facts, explain them clearly and stand behind them in court, so you can move forward with confidence.
Disputes, investigations and valuations can be complex. We make them simpler. Our forensic accountants work out what happened, what should have happened, and what it means in financial terms.
Lawyers, insurers, regulators, government bodies and parties to disputes instruct us, as do many existing Azets clients.
We combine human expertise with progressive technology. Through our collaboration with i-Lit Limited, a UK provider of generative AI (GenAI) powered electronic disclosure (eDisclosure) and litigation support, we review large volumes of emails, documents and financial records far faster than traditional methods. You get to the key evidence sooner, costs stay proportionate and our experts focus on what matters most.
Commercial disputes
We work out the financial impact of a dispute, from breach of contract to shareholder disagreements, and give expert evidence you can rely on.
Investigations
If you suspect fraud or wrongdoing, we’ll establish the facts, quantify what’s happened and help you protect your business from future threats.
Valuations
We provide clear, defensible valuations for matrimonial proceedings, shareholder disputes, probate, tax, restructuring and share transactions.
AI-driven evidence review
Our electronic data review (e-review) helps us find critical evidence in large volumes of data faster, keeping your costs down.
Forensic accounting services we offer include:
Most commercial disputes come down to one question: what financial position would you have been in if something had, or hadn’t, happened? We answer it with clear, independent analysis. We regularly act on:
Breach of contract claims
Warranty claims
Business interruption claims
Completion accounts and earn-out disputes, where buyers and sellers disagree on the final price after a deal
We work out the damages and losses involved, model different scenarios and give you clear advice on where you stand.
When business owners fall out, emotions often run high and the financial picture can be hard to see. We help you understand the numbers behind shareholder and partnership disputes, including unfair prejudice claims, where a shareholder believes the company is being run in a way that harms their interests. That includes valuing the shares or interests at stake, so you can negotiate or litigate from a position of strength.
We support you at every stage of a dispute, from early advice through to court. Our litigation support includes:
Expert reports
Oral testimony in court
Financial modelling and scenario analysis
Mediation support
Advisory reports and analysis
If you suspect fraud or wrongdoing, you need answers quickly. We investigate:
Alleged fraud
Accounting irregularities
Asset or fund misappropriation
We work out the financial impact and prepare reports that meet criminal or regulatory standards where needed. If the police are involved, we can support them with evidence reports too.
We carry out independent investigations and reviews for businesses, regulators and government bodies, including:
Financial regulatory investigations
Whistleblowing investigations
Regulatory compliance reviews
Assurance reviews
Anti-bribery and corruption reviews
Insolvency support
Our fact-finding reports give management a clear, objective view of what’s happened and what to do next.
Preventing fraud is better than investigating it. We help you understand where your business is vulnerable, put the right safeguards in place and raise awareness across your team, so you’re better protected from future threats.
Investigations and disputes often involve huge volumes of emails, documents and financial records. Our AI-driven electronic data review (e-review) cuts through that data quickly, so key evidence surfaces sooner.
Through our collaboration with i-Lit Limited, we combine GenAI-powered eDisclosure technology with the judgement of experienced forensic accountants. This helps you:
Reduce the time and cost of reviewing large volumes of data
Identify critical evidence and key issues more quickly
When a business or shareholding forms part of a divorce settlement, a clear and independent valuation matters. We act as single joint expert (SJE) in matrimonial proceedings, working with family lawyers to value business interests fairly and explain our conclusions clearly.
Where a valuation is disputed, the experience of the valuer and their commercial judgement make all the difference. We provide robust, defensible valuations for:
Shareholder and partnership disputes
Contentious probate
We provide independent valuations to support planning, transactions and compliance, including:
Valuations for restructuring and tax purposes
Non-contentious share transfers
Growth shares and new share issues
Non-contentious probate
Purchase price allocation (PPA), which splits the price paid for a business across its assets
We work with commercial litigation, corporate and family lawyers, as well as our audit colleagues. Depending on what you need, we’ll provide an expert report, advisory report or valuation model, backed by market data from specialist platforms. We can also support shareholder planning.
How we approach a valuation
Valuing a business is part art and part science. Every valuation we carry out starts with understanding the business, including:
Its drivers of value
The market in which it operates
The risks it faces
Any interconnected businesses
The limitations in the information available
From there, we determine the most appropriate methodology and explain our conclusions clearly.
Who instructs us
Commercial litigation, corporate and family lawyers
Insurers
Regulators and government bodies
Parties to disputes
Existing Azets clients
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Frequently asked questions
A forensic accountant investigates and analyses financial information for use in disputes, investigations and legal proceedings. This includes quantifying losses, investigating fraud, valuing businesses and giving independent expert evidence in court.
The cost depends on the complexity of the matter, the volume of information involved and whether expert evidence is needed in court. Talk to our team about your matter and we’ll explain what’s involved.
A single joint expert (SJE) is an expert instructed by both parties to a dispute, rather than each side appointing their own. The expert’s duty is to the court, and a joint instruction can help reduce costs.
Yes. Our forensic accountants prepare expert reports and give oral testimony in court.
Modern investigations often involve huge volumes of emails and documents. Our AI-driven electronic data review (e-review) finds relevant evidence far faster than manual review, reducing time and cost while our experts focus on interpreting what matters.
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Throughout the process, I was always able to contact the team to receive updates regarding progress and to discuss matters regularly. The final report prepared was excellent and without doubt presented in such a way, the Prosecution eventually agreed to resolve the Confiscation Proceedings, by agreeing to a significantly reduced benefit and available amount. This extremely favourable result would not have been achieved without having instructed Azets.
