Forensic Accountant in Pompano Beach, FL

Quick Answer

Joey Friedman, CPA, P.A. provides forensic accounting and business valuation services to Pompano Beach, Florida attorneys and parties from a practice office in Pembroke Pines (1 SW 129th Ave STE 408 A, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027) — in Broward County, the firm’s home county, serving the 17th Judicial Circuit. The work is performed by the firm’s President, Joey N. Friedman, CPA, ABV, M.Acc, MIB, a Florida-licensed CPA Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) by the AICPA since 2008. The firm applies Florida statute-specific methodology to divorce equitable distribution (§61.075), alimony income reconstruction (§61.08), shareholder oppression and statutory fair-value buyouts (§607.1436), commercial litigation damages, and fraud investigation — work structured to be defensible at trial under Florida’s Daubert standard (§90.702). Pompano Beach’s marine and manufacturing economy makes marine-business valuation, vessel valuation and tracing in divorce, and manufacturer and development partnership disputes especially common locally. The firm serves Florida statewide, the United States nationwide, and international matters (active engagements include Canada and Iceland). Engagement cost is scoped to the specific matter and documented in the engagement letter. Direct: 954-282-9615.

Key Takeaways

  • Pompano Beach is in Broward County — the firm’s home county — the practice office (Pembroke Pines) and residence are both in Broward, giving same-circuit familiarity with the 17th Judicial Circuit’s family, commercial, and probate divisions.
  • A marine and manufacturing economy — as part of the Greater Fort Lauderdale marine hub (“Yachting Capital of the World”), Pompano Beach hosts boatyards, marinas, yacht-service and marine-dealer businesses, and manufacturers — closely-held companies that generate valuation, partner-buyout, and damages work.
  • Marine wealth complicates divorce — high-value vessels are mobile, can be retitled or foreign-flagged, and are frequently undervalued or overlooked; valuing and tracing them is a recurring forensic task in Pompano Beach divorces.
  • An active downtown redevelopment brings development partnerships and real-estate ventures that occasionally end in disputes requiring valuation and damages analysis.
  • Florida statutes govern the analysis — §61.075 (equitable distribution), §61.075(6) (passive vs. active appreciation), §61.08 (alimony), §61.30 (child support), §61.16 (attorney/expert fees), §607.1436 with §607.1301(5)(c) (statutory fair value), §726.105–110 (UVTA fraudulent transfer), §90.702 (Daubert, adopted by the Florida Supreme Court effective May 2019).
  • Engagement cost depends on the records universe, number of entities, timeline urgency, and whether expert testimony is required — not on any single rate. The Florida market runs from roughly $3,500 for a focused single-issue analysis to $100,000+ for complex multi-entity litigation, at an average Florida forensic billing rate near $400/hour; each engagement is scoped against the specific matter and documented in the engagement letter.

Forensic Accounting and Business Valuation in Pompano Beach

Pompano Beach’s coastal, marine, and manufacturing economy shapes the forensic CPA work the firm performs in the area. The firm’s ABV credential and Florida Daubert-defensible methodology apply across divorce, business disputes, and damages matters — frequently involving marine assets and closely-held companies.

Marine-Business Valuation and Disputes

Boatyards, marinas, yacht-service and repair shops, marine dealers, and charter operations are owner-operated, seasonal, and asset-heavy — a combination that makes valuation and partner disputes complex. The firm applies AICPA Statement on Standards for Valuation Services No. 1 (SSVS 1) to marine-business engagements, addressing seasonality, inventory and vessel valuation, owner-compensation normalization, and the enterprise-vs-personal goodwill question, for divorce, partner buyouts, and shareholder disputes.

Vessel Valuation and Asset Tracing in Divorce

In a Pompano Beach divorce, a high-value vessel can be a significant marital asset — and one that is easily moved, retitled, chartered out, or registered offshore. The firm values vessels in the context of the marital estate and traces ownership and cash flows through documentation, registration and flagging records, marina and brokerage records, and the funds used to acquire, improve, or operate the vessel, supporting equitable distribution under §61.075 and identifying assets a spouse may have understated.

Divorce Forensic Accounting for Business Owners

When a Pompano Beach divorce involves a spouse who owns or controls a business, the firm’s engagements include equitable distribution analysis applying §61.075(6) (passive vs. active appreciation), alimony income reconstruction under §61.08 for self-employed spouses, hidden-asset discovery and tracing, and marital business goodwill analysis under Florida case law.

Business Valuation for Pompano Beach Companies and Litigation

The firm applies SSVS 1 methodology to Pompano Beach engagements, including:

  • Statutory fair value valuations under §607.1436 — when a shareholder petitions for judicial dissolution (for example, for oppression under §607.1430) and the company or remaining shareholders elect to buy out the petitioner, the price is “fair value,” which Florida defines under §607.1301(5)(c) to exclude minority and marketability discounts.
  • Partnership and LLC buyouts under operating-agreement provisions, common among marine, manufacturing, and development ventures.
  • Marital business valuations in divorce, where the valuation date selected materially affects results.
  • Estate and gift tax valuations for Pompano Beach family transfers, applying IRS Rev. Rul. 59-60 plus Florida-specific factors.
  • Commercial damages valuations in breach-of-contract, fraud, and economic-loss cases brought in the 17th Circuit.

Fraud Investigation and Employee Embezzlement

Owner-operated marine and manufacturing businesses are common internal-fraud targets. The firm investigates skimming, fictitious vendors, payroll schemes, and check tampering; quantifies the loss; identifies control weaknesses; and supports insurance claims, civil recovery, or law-enforcement referral with an expert report and testimony.

Expert Witness Testimony Under Florida’s Daubert Standard

Florida applies the Daubert standard to expert testimony (§90.702), adopted by the Florida Supreme Court effective May 2019. The firm’s reports satisfy Daubert’s reliability requirements through replicable methodology, peer-tested techniques (AICPA SSVS 1 / SSFS 1; IRS Rev. Rul. 59-60, 68-609, 77-287, 83-120, 93-12), primary-source documentation, and transparent statements of limitation. Engagements are accepted through deposition and trial in the 17th Judicial Circuit (Broward), the federal Southern District of Florida, and AAA arbitration.

Common Pompano Beach Engagement Patterns

Pattern 1: Marine-Business Partner Dispute

Two partners in a Pompano Beach boatyard, marina, or yacht-service business separate. The firm values the business under SSVS 1 — addressing seasonality, vessel and parts inventory, and owner compensation — and supports a buyout under §607.1436 or the operating agreement with an expert report and testimony.

Pattern 2: Vessel and Business in a Divorce

A Pompano Beach divorce involves a closely-held business and a high-value vessel. The firm values the business, values and traces the vessel within the marital estate, reconstructs income for alimony under §61.08, and testifies at deposition and trial.

Pattern 3: Development or Real-Estate Partnership Dispute

A downtown or commercial development partnership ends in dispute. The firm analyzes capital contributions, distributions, and project economics; values the venture or the disputed interest; and quantifies damages for the 17th Circuit.

Pattern 4: Employee Embezzlement at a Pompano Beach Manufacturer

An owner suspects internal theft. The firm reconstructs transactions, quantifies the loss, identifies the scheme and control gaps, and supports an insurance claim, civil recovery, or law-enforcement referral.

Pompano Beach and the Surrounding Broward Service Area

The firm serves Pompano Beach and the adjacent Broward communities, including Deerfield Beach, Lighthouse Point, Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Coconut Creek, Margate, and Broward countywide, and works with attorneys throughout the 17th Judicial Circuit. Because the firm’s office and residence are both in Broward County, Pompano Beach engagements benefit from same-county familiarity with the local courts and counsel. The firm also works Florida statewide, US nationwide, and internationally.

Credentials and Service Approach

Joey N. Friedman, CPA, ABV, M.Acc, MIB — Florida-licensed CPA since 2006, Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) since 2008, with Master of Accountancy and Master of International Business academic credentials and active membership in the AICPA and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Experience includes 100+ litigation engagements; $250M–$500M+ in total business and asset value assessed; and testimony across multiple Florida Judicial Circuits, two US Federal District Courts, and international matters. All engagements are provided by the firm, Joey Friedman, CPA, P.A., through its President.

Engagement onboarding typically includes: (1) an initial consultation with the engaging attorney or client to scope the matter; (2) a conflict-of-interest check; (3) an engagement letter documenting scope, billing structure, anticipated work product, and timeline; (4) a records-collection and subpoena-strategy plan; (5) phased work execution with status updates; (6) production of a Daubert-defensible expert report; and (7) testimony preparation if the engagement extends through deposition and trial.

Florida Statutes Applied in Pompano Beach Engagements

Divorce / Family Law: §61.075 (equitable distribution), §61.075(6) (passive vs. active appreciation), §61.08 (alimony), §61.13 (financial affidavit), §61.16 (attorney/expert fees), §61.30 (child support guidelines).

Corporate / Shareholder: §607.1430 (judicial-dissolution / oppression grounds), §607.1436 (election to purchase in lieu of dissolution, at fair value), §607.1301(5)(c) (fair value defined — excludes minority and marketability discounts).

Fraudulent Transfer: §726.102–110 (Florida UVTA), including §726.105(1)(a) actual-intent fraud, §726.105(1)(b) constructive fraud, §726.108 creditor remedies, and §726.110 limitations.

Probate / Guardianship: §744.367 (annual report duty), §744.3678 (annual accounting).

Evidence: §90.702 (Florida Daubert standard, adopted by the Florida Supreme Court effective May 2019).

Frequently Asked Questions — Forensic Accounting in Pompano Beach

Is the firm located in Pompano Beach?

The firm’s practice office is in Pembroke Pines, in the same county — Broward — and serves the 17th Judicial Circuit, including Pompano Beach. The firm’s office and residence are both in Broward, which supports in-person meetings, document exchange, and courthouse access for Broward matters. The firm accepts engagements requiring expert testimony at deposition and trial in the 17th Circuit and the federal Southern District of Florida.

My Pompano Beach divorce involves a boat or yacht. How is it handled?

A high-value vessel is treated as a marital asset: the firm values it and traces its ownership and the funds used to acquire, improve, or operate it through registration, marina, brokerage, and financial records — important because vessels are mobile and can be retitled or foreign-flagged.

I co-own a marine business with a partner who wants out. Can the firm value it?

Yes. The firm values boatyards, marinas, yacht-service businesses, and marine dealers under AICPA SSVS 1, addressing seasonality, inventory and vessel valuation, and owner-compensation normalization, and supports a buyout under §607.1436 or the operating agreement.

What credentials should I look for in a Pompano Beach forensic accountant?

A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with active Florida licensure, Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) from the AICPA, demonstrated forensic accounting experience, and prior expert-witness testimony experience.

How does the firm’s work integrate with mediation?

The expert report and supporting analysis become discoverable material that informs mediation. Many Broward divorce and commercial cases settle at mediation because the forensic CPA’s findings shift expectations on both sides. The firm can attend mediation when engaged for that role.

What if the opposing side hires its own forensic CPA?

Common in contested matters. The firm’s reports are structured to anticipate and respond to rebuttal reports, and the Daubert standard (§90.702) governs which testimony survives challenge — well-documented methodology survives.

How does engagement cost work?

Cost depends on the records universe, number of entities, timeline urgency, and whether expert testimony is required — not on any single rate. In the Florida market, focused single-issue analyses commonly start around $3,500, while complex multi-entity litigation can run $100,000 or more, at an average Florida forensic billing rate near $400/hour. Each engagement is scoped against the specific matter and documented in the engagement letter.

Can the court order the opposing spouse to pay the firm’s fees?

Florida §61.16 gives the court discretion to allocate attorney and expert fees between divorcing spouses based on relative financial position. In Broward family court, the higher-earning spouse who controls financial information is often required to advance forensic CPA fees. Your divorce attorney can address the procedural mechanism.

How long does a Pompano Beach forensic engagement take?

A focused single-issue analysis can complete in 4–8 weeks. A comprehensive multi-account investigation runs 2–4 months. Complex multi-entity engagements run 4–6+ months, depending on records access, subpoena response time, and whether the engagement extends through deposition and trial.

Related Resources

Forensic Accounting & Business Valuation — Florida Service Areas

Joey Friedman, CPA, P.A. serves clients across Florida, including:

Contact Joey Friedman, CPA, P.A.
Office: 1 SW 129th Ave STE 408 A, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027 (Broward County — the firm’s home county)
Direct: 954-282-9615
Service area: Pompano Beach / Broward served from the Pembroke Pines office; Florida statewide, US nationwide, and international (Canada and Iceland matters active).