Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Appraisers E & O Insurance Should Be Insisted On

When a couple is in the process of getting a divorce, it is quite the norm for property that they jointly own being subjected to  appraisal. Such information is significant especially if one of the partners decides to buy out the other, or if it is decided to split the cash obtained from sale of the property or to assess the splitting of assets.
Such appraisals are normally conducted by professionals who should necessarily have appraiser e & o insurance.

The state in which a divorce is taking place will have at its own laws that will finally determine the division of property and assets. There are states that stipulate that such assets be equally split. But the actual splitting of the assets will depend on certain circumstances. There could be instances where one spouse has received the property as an inheritance or where the property in question has been owned by one of them before the marriage that has now resulted in a divorce.


A professional appraiser is a very important requirement. Each type of property has its own specialized appraisers and these could be those who are experts in coins, or collectibles, or jewelry, or art,  or real estate. It is important that each appraiser have a license or certification from a professional organization. Some states also certify appraisers. It is necessary that the appraiser  being considered for appointment be able to produce the necessary certificate as well as proof of appraiser e & o insurance.

It is necessary to have the proper legal and financial advise that can assist the valuation of any form of property. An attorney should be able to get a legal agreement signed by both spouses that they will accept the valuation given by any professional appraiser to the property in question. The title of the property also needs to be verified as this could affect the ownership share. A financial adviser would be able to keep track of the increase in value of a property and also assess whether such increase has been the result of extra funds having been put in by either or both of the spouses.  If there is a home office, or the property is associated with a business there could be other implications. The date of the valuation also has some importance, as some states will consider the separation date while others may require a valuation to be done when divorce proceedings are about to be finalized.

A financial consultant or a divorce attorney can be of help to find the right appraisers. When it is real estate that needs to be valued, it is better to depend on one who is located in that area, as then the familiarity with property values in the neighborhood can be of use. Find an appraiser that you are comfortable with even if it means interviewing a few of them. You need to make sure that you are protected from any errors made by the appraiser and this is where the appraiser e & o insurance and the necessary certificates could be of some validity.

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