Using Shadow and Rebuttal Experts for Business Valuations in a Divorce | Episode 43

Shadow and Rebuttal Experts in Colorado Divorce Cases In this rebroadcast from the Colorado Family Law Institute, Ryan Kalamaya is joined by Erik Six, CPA/ABV, a respected business valuation and financial expert who regularly consults on complex divorce matters. Ryan shares why this episode is more technical than most: it’s a real conference-style presentation designed to help attorneys, understand expert strategy, disclosures, and why “neutral” joint expert reports often carry real-world weight in court. Erik explains that a shadow expert isn’t something sneaky it’s a practical way to help a client understand the joint expert process, catch errors early, ensure complete data is shared, and often resolve disputes without needing a formal rebuttal report.Guest InformationErik Six is a certified public accountant and Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) who focuses his practice on expert and consulting services in marital dissolution and complex financial divorce cases. He works with attorneys and clients to analyze business value, income, cash flow, and disputed financial issues often as a joint expert, shadow expert, or rebuttal expert depending on the needs of the case.Episode OutlineWhy Shadow and Rebuttal Experts Matter How expert strategy can protect clients from bad assumptions and expensive litigation detours.Common Expert Models in Divorce Cases Dueling experts vs. joint experts, joint + shadow, joint + dueling, cooperative models, and court-appointed options.Joint Expert Best Practices Defining scope, avoiding ex parte communication, managing timelines, draft reviews, and payment logistics.Disclosure Rules and Strategic Risks How expert disclosures and information sharing matter—especially if a shadow later becomes a testifying rebuttal expert.Business Valuation Fundamentals Market, asset, and income approaches—and why the excess earnings method is common in professional practice valuation.Where Valuations Swing the Most Adjusted net income, reasonable compensation, weighting years, and capitalization multiples—and how small changes create big value swings.Key Scenarios Where Shadow Experts Add Value Separate property tracing disputes, questionable add-backs, and catching math/assumption errors before the report is final.What is Divorce at Altitude? Ryan Kalamaya and Amy Goscha provide tips and recommendations on issues related to divorce, separation, and co-parenting in Colorado. Ryan and Amy are the founding partners of an innovative and ambitious law firm, Kalamaya | Goscha, that pushes the boundaries to discover new frontiers in family law, personal injuries, and criminal defense in Colorado. To subscribe to Divorce at Altitude, click here and select your favorite podcast player. To subscribe to Kalamaya | Goscha's YouTube channel where many of the episodes will be posted as videos, click here.  If you have additional questions or would like to speak to one of our attorneys, give us a call at 970-429-5784 or email us at [email protected].************************************************************************DISCLAIMER: THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS ON THIS PODCAST IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE. CONTACT AN ATTORNEY IN YOUR STATE OR AREA TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY OF THESE ISSUES.