By Joey N. Friedman, CPA, ABV, MAcc, MIB — President, Joey Friedman CPA PA. This article is published by Joey Friedman CPA PA, a Florida professional association. All forensic accounting, business valuation, expert witness, and litigation support services described herein are provided by Joey Friedman CPA PA. Mr. Friedman’s professional credentials and experience are exercised in his capacity as an officer, agent, and licensed CPA practicing under and on behalf of Joey Friedman CPA PA.
Quick Answer
A forensic CPA investigates financial records for litigation, fraud, or disputes — producing reports and testimony that withstand cross-examination. A regular CPA prepares financial statements, tax returns, or compliance attestations — following professional standards designed for ordinary business reporting, not for adversarial proceedings. Hiring a regular CPA to do forensic work risks Daubert exclusion, methodology challenges, and weak cross-examination performance. Litigation, divorce, and disputes specifically need a forensic CPA with relevant credentials (CPA, ABV, MAFF, CFF).
If you’ve ever found yourself searching for “the right kind of accountant” for a specific matter — a divorce involving a business, an embezzlement situation, a partnership dispute — you’ve encountered the surprising truth that not all CPAs do the same work.
A regular CPA and a forensic CPA share the same underlying license. But the day-to-day work, the credentials, the deliverables, and the contexts they work in are substantially different. This article explains the practical difference and when each is the right choice.
Same License, Different Practices
Both regular CPAs and forensic CPAs hold a Certified Public Accountant license. The license is granted by a state board (in Florida, the Florida Board of Accountancy) after the candidate has:
- Earned 150 college credit hours including specific accounting and business courses
- Passed all four parts of the Uniform CPA Examination
- Completed required professional experience
- Met continuing education requirements (typically 40 hours per year in Florida)
After this foundation, CPAs specialize. Most CPAs go into:
- Tax practice (preparing returns, planning, IRS representation)
- Audit and assurance (auditing financial statements, providing assurance opinions)
- Accounting and bookkeeping (preparing financial statements, monthly close work)
- Financial planning and advisory (helping individuals or businesses plan financially)
A smaller subset of CPAs go into:
- Forensic accounting (investigative financial work in litigation, fraud, disputes)
- Business valuation (valuing businesses for tax, transactions, or litigation)
- Litigation support and expert witness (financial analysis and testimony for legal matters)
The credentials build on top of the CPA license: ABV (Accredited in Business Valuation), CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner), CFF (Certified in Financial Forensics), CVA (Certified Valuation Analyst). Each credential signals specialty training.
What a Regular CPA Does
A regular CPA’s day-to-day work typically includes:
- Tax return preparation (individual, business, estate, trust)
- Tax planning and consultation
- Monthly or quarterly accounting work for business clients
- Financial statement preparation
- Audits of financial statements (for audit-qualified firms)
- IRS representation (in tax matters)
- General business advisory
The work is recurring, structured, and follows defined professional standards. Most relationships with regular CPAs are ongoing — the same CPA handles tax returns year after year.
What a Forensic CPA Does
A forensic CPA’s work is project-based and litigation-oriented:
- Forensic investigations (fraud, embezzlement, financial misconduct)
- Business valuations for divorce, gift tax, estate tax, transactions, or litigation
- Economic damages calculations
- Expert witness testimony in court
- Asset tracing in divorce, fraud, or partnership disputes
- Rebuttal expert reports critiquing opposing-side experts
- Litigation support for attorneys handling financial cases
- Compliance with applicable professional standards (AICPA SSCS, etc.)
Each engagement is unique. The forensic CPA designs the analytical approach based on the specific question being asked, the records available, and the legal context.
Where the Practice Differences Matter
Court vs. Office
Regular CPAs work primarily from their offices, interacting with clients, regulators, and other CPAs. They occasionally provide testimony in tax court but generally don’t have a courtroom practice.
Forensic CPAs spend substantial time in litigation contexts — preparing expert reports, sitting for depositions, testifying at trial, consulting with attorneys. The work product is designed to be defensible under cross-examination.
Engagement Structure
Regular CPA engagements are typically open-ended advisory relationships or annual tax preparation engagements. The fee structure is often based on annual work (tax season billing) or hourly for advisory work.
Forensic CPA engagements are typically defined scope, defined deliverable, hourly billing. Engagement letters specify the question being addressed, the records to be reviewed, the deliverable, and the expected timeline.
Independence Requirements
Regular CPAs have independence requirements when performing audit or attest work — they can’t audit their own clients’ financial statements for businesses they have significant ownership in. But for tax and advisory work, the regular CPA can have a longstanding client relationship.
Forensic CPAs serving as expert witnesses must maintain independence in a stricter sense. The work must be defensible regardless of which party hired the expert. Contingency fees are prohibited (the expert must be paid for time and work, not for the result). Conflicts of interest must be disclosed.
Documentation Standard
Regular CPA work follows the documentation standards of the professional standard governing the engagement (e.g., SSARS for compilations, SSAE for examinations, GAAS for audits).
Forensic CPA work follows AICPA Statement on Standards for Forensic Services (SSCS), plus engagement-specific standards. The documentation is designed to withstand discovery, deposition, and trial examination.
When You Need a Regular CPA
You need a regular CPA when:
- You need a tax return prepared
- You need ongoing accounting support for a business
- You’re going through an IRS audit (which is different from financial audit)
- You need financial planning advice
- You need a financial statement audit (assuming the CPA is audit-qualified)
- You have routine business advisory needs
A long-term relationship with a trusted regular CPA is one of the most valuable financial relationships an individual or business can have.
When You Need a Forensic CPA
You need a forensic CPA when:
- You suspect financial misconduct (fraud, embezzlement)
- You’re in litigation involving financial issues
- You’re divorcing and there are business interests, hidden asset concerns, or complex finances
- You need an expert witness in a court matter
- You need to evaluate the other side’s expert report
- You’re dealing with shareholder oppression, partnership disputes, or buy-sell disputes
- Your estate or trust matter involves disputed financial activity
The right forensic CPA has specialty credentials (ABV, CFE, CFF, or CVA) plus experience with the specific type of matter you’re facing.
Can a Regular CPA Do Forensic Work?
Technically, any CPA can call themselves a forensic accountant. The CPA license itself doesn’t restrict the work. But the specialty credentials, experience, and methodology are what makes forensic work defensible.
If a regular CPA without forensic credentials prepares a business valuation for a Florida divorce, several issues may arise:
- The opposing side will challenge the credentials in deposition
- The methodology may not follow accepted forensic standards
- The work product may not survive cross-examination
- A court may exclude the testimony
For matters where the work product will be tested in court, the right answer is a credentialed forensic CPA, not a regular CPA “branching out.”
Can a Forensic CPA Also Do Regular CPA Work?
Many forensic CPAs maintain general practices alongside their forensic specialty. They might prepare tax returns or provide accounting services for some clients while doing forensic engagements for others. This is fine — the forensic specialty doesn’t preclude general practice.
However, a forensic CPA who is heavily focused on litigation work may not have the depth in everyday tax compliance or business advisory that a dedicated regular CPA has. The choice depends on the specific need.
A Note on Joey Friedman’s Practice
For transparency: Joey Friedman, CPA, ABV, MAcc, MIB practices EXCLUSIVELY in forensic accounting, business valuation, expert witness, and litigation support. The firm does not prepare income tax returns, provide tax planning services, or offer general accounting or bookkeeping. This is a deliberate practice choice — focused specialty practice produces better work product in the forensic context than divided attention.
For tax preparation, accounting services, and general business advisory, clients are referred to trusted regular CPA firms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a forensic CPA more expensive than a regular CPA?
Per hour, often yes — forensic CPAs typically bill higher hourly rates than regular CPAs ($300-$500/hour for principal-level forensic work vs. $200-$350/hour for principal-level general work). But the comparison isn’t apples-to-apples because the work is different.
Can my regular CPA handle a forensic matter to save money?
For a small, straightforward matter where the work product won’t be tested in litigation, possibly. For any matter going to court or involving meaningful disputed financial issues, the right answer is a credentialed forensic CPA. Saving money on credentials typically costs more in the end.
What credentials should I look for?
For Florida divorce with business: CPA + ABV. For fraud investigation: CPA + CFE or CFF. For broader forensic work: CPA + multiple specialty credentials.
Can I use a forensic CPA for tax preparation?
You can, but you probably shouldn’t. Forensic CPAs typically don’t do routine tax compliance work. Use a regular CPA for tax compliance.
What if my matter has both tax and forensic components?
The forensic CPA can handle the forensic analysis; the regular CPA can handle the tax compliance. The two often work in parallel on complex matters.
Does Joey Friedman CPA PA provide tax services?
No. The firm practices exclusively in forensic accounting, business valuation, expert witness, and litigation support. For tax compliance, the firm refers clients to trusted general-practice CPAs.
What’s the most important thing to ask when interviewing a forensic CPA?
Specific experience with matters similar to yours. Ask: “How many [divorce business valuations / fraud investigations / partnership disputes] have you worked in the last 12 months?” Specific recent experience is the most diagnostic indicator of fit.
Working with the Right Type of CPA for Your Matter
If you’re trying to determine whether you need a forensic CPA, a regular CPA, or both for your specific situation, start with a confidential consultation. A credentialed forensic CPA can quickly identify whether the matter is in their lane or whether you need a different specialty.
Joey Friedman CPA PA, through its President Joey N. Friedman, CPA, ABV, MAcc, MIB, provides forensic accounting, business valuation, expert witness, and litigation support services throughout Florida. The firm does not provide tax preparation or routine accounting services — those are referred to trusted regular CPA colleagues. Contact the firm to discuss your specific matter.
Florida Forensic Accountant Locations Hub
For city-specific forensic CPA service references across Florida — including Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, Naples, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach — see Florida Forensic Accountant Locations. Joey Friedman CPA PA serves engagements throughout the United States from the Pembroke Pines headquarters, with active matters in Canada and Iceland.
About Joey Friedman CPA PA
Joey Friedman CPA PA is a Florida professional association providing forensic accounting, business valuation, expert witness, and litigation support services. The firm is led by Joey N. Friedman, CPA, ABV, MAcc, MIB, who serves as the firm’s President.
All services described in this article are provided by Joey Friedman CPA PA. Engagement letters and professional services are issued by the firm. Joey N. Friedman signs in his capacity as the firm’s President — as an officer and agent acting on behalf of Joey Friedman CPA PA, not in any personal or individual capacity. Mr. Friedman’s professional credentials — including CPA license, ABV (Accredited in Business Valuation, AICPA), and ACFE membership — are exercised under the firm.
To engage Joey Friedman CPA PA, contact the firm:
- Phone: 954-282-9615
- Contact form: Contact the Firm
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, accounting, or tax advice. Engagement of Joey Friedman CPA PA is subject to a written engagement letter executed between Joey Friedman CPA PA and the engaging party. No attorney-client or accountant-client relationship is created by reading this article.
Related coverage from Joey Friedman CPA PA
- What Is a Forensic Accountant? A Florida CPA’s Honest Guide
- Forensic Accounting vs Forensic Audit: What Attorneys Need to Know
- Business Valuation Accountants: What ABV-Credentialed Sets Apart
- Daubert-Ready CPA Expert Witness: Methodology That Survives Challenge
Related Professional Comparisons
For attorneys evaluating whether to retain a forensic CPA versus a business attorney first, see our companion guide: When to Hire a Forensic Accountant vs Business Attorney — covering scope distinctions, when each professional adds value, and how their work products differ in litigation.