I have testified at dozens of depositions and always had a court reporter present to transcribe my testimony. In my earlier days of testifying in a courtroom, a court reporter was always present. Today, court reporters in the courtroom are a rare sight. The courtrooms in Maricopa County Arizona Superior Court, for example, generally use …
The IRS continues to look at family limited partnerships (FLPs) and whether or not they have been formed for a sufficient business purpose. Section 2036 of the IRS Code provides that the gross estate should include the value of any property to the extent a transfer has been made but the decedent has retained 1) …
Per the AICPA Statement on Standards for Valuation Services #1 (SSVS #1), a valuation analyst may complete a calculation engagement for which he/she would submit a calculation report. A calculation engagement is much more limited in scope than a valuation engagement. A valuation engagement is performed for the purpose of expressing an opinion of value …
As a forensic accountant, I was recently involved in the mediation process of a very complex divorce case. Due the nature of the case, preparing for trial would be a long and expensive process for my client. In addition, in order to resolve the issues satisfactorily for both parties, a creative, and somewhat nontraditional, approach …
The Arizona Child Support Guidelines provide a standard of support for children and are based on both the needs of the children and the ability of the parents to pay. The Guidelines provide specific calculations to perform in order to determine the proportional share that each parent should pay based on various factors. In order …
The level of detail and the manner of explanation in a valuation report for tax compliance purposes is extremely important as the report serves as the expert’s direct testimony in Federal Tax Court. It’s interesting to observe the important steps that families take to protect their assets – hiring top wealth management teams, tax consultants, …
We continue with more tips for the first-time deposition testifier. Read Part I here. More Easy Questions – You will be asked some more really easy questions related to such topics as the name of your employer, and a bit about your work history including your current position. You may also be asked whether you …
The court reporter had a foreboding sense that the deposition was not going to go well. Mr. Kruft, who was pushing 80 years, was being deposed. And, he was clearly expressing a great deal of annoyance at the questions being fired at him by the examining attorney. He also did not like the smug demeanor …
If you have never testified at a deposition involving a civil litigation matter but you soon will, it’s possible you will have some of the feelings I had the first time I had to testify. Just before the hour of your testimony arrives, you may end up experiencing (pick one): a) stress; b) fear; c) …
Tips for Deposition Testifying Following are some tips that may be of help to you should you ever be called to testify at a deposition: 1. Always prepare for your deposition with your attorney. Reviewing what the opposing attorney is going to ask you will do wonders in calming you. 2. Present your best appearance …