Practice valuation · Divorce
Medical Practice Valuation for Divorce in California
In a community property state, your practice will be valued — the only question is whether the number is rigorous or whether it's wrong.
- CVA Certified NACVA Valuation Analyst
- USPAP Compliant Appraisal Reports
- 500+ Valuations 45+ specialties
Community Property Meets Professional Goodwill
California family courts treat a medical practice built or grown during marriage as community property — and unlike many states, California divides professional goodwill. That makes the valuation the financial center of gravity in a physician divorce. Whether you're the owner-spouse or the non-owner spouse, the difference between a rigorous appraisal and a rough one routinely runs into six figures of settlement value.
The Issues That Decide Physician Divorce Valuations
- Goodwill and the double-dip. In a medical practice, goodwill usually makes up a large share of total value, and it's typically driven by the physician's excess earnings — income above their fair market compensation. That sets up a double-dip risk: the same excess earnings can be counted once in valuing the practice and again as spousal support. Our careful analysis and market knowledge will help your counsel recognize and argue that exposure.
- Reasonable compensation. The owner's "salary" in a closely held practice is discretionary. We restate it to market using physician compensation data, because that adjustment alone often swings value dramatically.
- Valuation date. Date of separation versus date of trial can produce different values, particularly where the practice changed post-separation. We value to the date counsel and the court require — and can present both.
- Cash flow control. Family courts know owners can temporarily depress earnings. Normalization of one-time expenses, related-party payments, and discretionary spending addresses this transparently — in either direction.
A Report Built for Family Court
Divorce demands our Detailed Report tier: full documentation of the asset, market, and income approaches, every adjustment sourced, every conclusion reconciled. It's the gold standard for a reason — opposing counsel will retain their own expert, and your report needs to win the methodological argument before testimony even begins. We support counsel through deposition and trial, and we also serve as jointly stipulated neutral experts when both parties prefer one credible number over two competing ones. Surgery center interests in the marital estate? See ASC valuation for divorce. Broader dispute work is described under litigation support.
For Owner and Non-Owner Spouses Alike
We are retained by owner-spouses, non-owner spouses, and jointly. Independence is the entire value: our conclusion follows the evidence, which is precisely why it holds up.
A clear, three-step process
- 1
Discovery Call
A confidential conversation about your practice, your timeline, and the purpose of the valuation. We scope the right report tier before you commit to anything.
- 2
Financial Analysis & Interviews
We interview you and normalize your financials. Owner compensation, one-time expenses, and related-party leases all get restated. Typical turnaround: 1–2 weeks.
- 3
Certified Opinion of Value
You receive a defensible, USPAP-compliant conclusion of value, walked through line by line. The report is documented to withstand scrutiny from a buyer, a court, a partner, or a lender.
Counsel needs a number that survives the other expert.
Detailed, USPAP-compliant reports built for California family court.
Trusted by physicians across California
Real Google reviews from physicians and practice owners we have served. Read them on Google
“As a physician with partnership transaction of medical practice, he was an exceptional to guide me and advise me. He showed not only professionalism but also his eagerness to help and guide me through. Highly recommend him for any business valuation and transaction.”
Dr. Kyong Kim
Partnership transaction
“Fantastic valuation/appraisal specialist. I reached out to Alexey to help me evaluate a medical practice buy-in on short notice. He was able to work me into his schedule and accommodate my timeline despite how busy he was and provided crucial insight into helping me decide my next steps.”
Dr. Xuan Cao
Medical practice buy-in
“They get 5 stars across the board. Alexey was extremely thorough and detailed oriented. He did a deep dive into my practice’s financials, coding and practice history. He was easily approachable and prompt in answering questions and in completing the Appraisal. I am confident in the results and I would highly recommend him to any physician/practice for an appraisal.”
Dr. Robert Sacks
Ophthalmology practice
“I called Nechay as I was navigating the potential of selling my practice, and I had a lot of questions about my various offers for sale. Nechay was so responsive, methodical, and educational. He really allowed me to understand the landscape of selling my practice. He is an effective communicator, very patient on the phone and obviously extremely knowledgeable. I will be hiring him to help complete my transactions!”
Dr. Garima Lal
Evaluating sale offers
“I hired Nechay Appraisals to value my ophthalmology practice last year and couldn’t have been more impressed. From start to finish, Alexey was fantastic to work with. The end result was a highly professional and polished valuation report that provided valuable insights on the current state of my business.”
Dr. David Salvay
Ophthalmology practice valuation
“Alexey has been an excellent asset in evaluating our practice. His experience and practice suggestions have helped us tremendously. His working knowledge of medical practice evaluation and application of these skills is second to none. He is always readily available at a moment’s notice.”
Dr. Elio Vento
Practice evaluation
“Very attentive. Quick to respond. Knowledgeable.”
Dr. Betty Daniels
“Very professional, responsive and creates an excellent report and is accessible. Thank you!”
Dr. Daniel Laroche
“Alexey is very professional and a pleasure to work with. I was under time constraints and he completed his review on time despite those additional pressures.”
Dr. Charles Jackson
“Nechay listened carefully and provided objective feedback tailored to my specific situation. His honest communication and expertise made a complex process much easier. I highly recommend him.”
Dr. Maria Soledad Romero
“Highly recommend! From start to finish, he demonstrated expertise, professionalism, and genuine care. Not only did he deliver a thorough, well-researched valuation report, but he also took the time to explain key findings, offer strategic advice, and answered all our questions — even talked to our accountant and bookkeeper to dig deep into our situation.”
Dr. Alicia Sanchez
Medical practice valuation
“We hired Nechay Appraisals to value our ophthalmology practice the year before last and couldn’t have been more impressed. From start to finish, Alexey was fantastic to work with. He was very organized and very patient with us as we gathered what he needed. Every week he would check in to make sure everything was on track. We are getting ready to utilize his services again and are looking forward to working with him.”
Jenna Keller
Ophthalmology practice valuation
“I greatly appreciate the help from Alexey. The process was easy and the information was invaluable. The data provided was comprehensive and gave me perspective of my company that I was not aware of. I highly recommend Alexey and his company.”
Dr. Linh Ngo
Medical practice valuation
Frequently asked questions
Almost never entirely. Even owner-dependent practices hold tangible asset value, workforce value, and some transferable goodwill — and California courts expect that value to be supported with analysis, not conceded to an assertion.
No. Tax returns are prepared to minimize taxable income, not to reflect economic earnings. Normalization adjustments can move value in either direction, so a valuation based on raw numbers rarely matches true value.
Not necessarily. Parties increasingly stipulate to a single neutral appraiser, which costs less and settles faster. When each side retains an expert, we serve either as the primary appraiser or in rebuttal of the opposing report.
Typically 2–4 weeks after documents are complete — divorce engagements involve more documentation than transactional ones. Tell us your case calendar on the first call; we deliver against court deadlines.
Yes. Valuation engagements are handled remotely from our California office. We work from your financials, interview you by phone or video, and send you the finished report. We have completed valuations in more than 35 states, and an on-site visit can be arranged when an engagement calls for it. Many physicians have no local appraiser who focuses on medical practices, so working with a specialist remotely often serves you better than hiring a generalist nearby.
Get the Practice Valued Right the First Time
Independent, court-tested, and confidential.
All inquiries are kept strictly confidential.