The million-dollar question: What's it worth?
What is a business worth? What are the shares worth? These seemingly simple questions drive some of the most contentious disputes in commercial and personal relationships. Shareholder disagreements, partnership exits, unit holder disputes, unexpected acquisition offers, potential purchase opportunities, and family law proceedings all hinge on accurate valuation.
Determining value requires establishing credible, defensible valuations that withstand scrutiny from opposing parties, courts, and regulatory bodies when stakes are high and emotions run deep.
When valuation becomes critical
Shareholder and Partnership Disputes
When business relationships deteriorate and exit mechanisms require fair value determination.
Acquisition Opportunities
Whether you’re the target receiving an unexpected offer or identifying potential acquisitions requiring realistic pricing strategies.
Family Law Proceedings
When relationship breakdowns require asset division and business interests become central to settlement negotiations.
Strategic Planning
Understanding current value and identifying improvement opportunities through indicative valuation reviews.
Legal and Contractual Requirements
When agreements mandate valuations following specific guidelines or methodologies.
Our professional valuation methodology
The Four Essential Questions
Every valuation begins with clear answers to fundamental questions that shape methodology and conclusions:
- What is being valued? (business assets, shares, units, or specific interests)
- Who is the vendor and purchaser? (their specific circumstances affect value perspectives)
- Why is the valuation required? (purpose determines appropriate methodologies and standards)
Comprehensive information gathering
We distil initial answers and systematically gather relevant information required for accurate valuation, ensuring all material factors are properly considered whilst avoiding irrelevant complications that cloud analysis.
Expert coordination and independence
When circumstances require third-party expert input or independent valuation, we manage information requests and ensure responses are timely, complete, and accurate whilst maintaining appropriate professional independence.
Clarity through questioning
Effective valuation requires understanding nuances that aren’t immediately apparent. We ask targeted questions to gain clarity about business operations, market conditions, and specific circumstances that influence value conclusions.
Delicate process management
We manage valuation processes sensitively whilst maintaining strict independence, recognising that valuations often occur during stressful periods when relationships are strained and emotions elevated.
Need a valuation that stands up to scrutiny and serves your strategic objectives? Contact UHY Haines Norton today to discuss how our experienced team delivers credible, defensible valuations for complex situations.
Why professional expertise matters
Our experience with business structures, balance sheet analysis, partnership and company agreements, unit trust arrangements, business profitability assessment, and family dynamics combines to provide a comprehensive valuation capability that addresses both technical and interpersonal complexities.
Each valuation is unique, requiring methodology adaptation based on specific circumstances rather than standardised approaches that miss critical factors.
Strategic valuation benefits
Independent Benchmark Establishment
Professional valuations provide credible benchmarks for negotiations, removing personal bias and emotional factors that often distort value discussions during disputes.
Scrutiny-Resistant Methodology
Thorough processes ensure valuations withstand challenge from opposing experts, courts, and regulatory scrutiny—essential when everyone involved has strong opinions about value.
Legal Compliance and Agreement Adherence
Many legal agreements specify valuation requirements and methodologies. Professional compliance with these guidelines ensures agreement terms are met and legal obligations satisfied.
Expectation Management and Reality Testing
Parties close to businesses often hold inflated views of market value. Expert analysis provides realistic assessments that reset expectations and enable informed decision-making.
Strategic Mediation Support
Valuations serve broader dispute resolution strategies. Professional analysis brings awareness of likely court determinations and assists in achieving mediation outcomes by establishing realistic value ranges for negotiation.
Integration with due diligence services
Our Due Diligence services complement valuation work by identifying value improvement opportunities, uncovering hidden liabilities, and providing comprehensive business analysis that enhances valuation accuracy and strategic insight.
This integration is particularly valuable when valuations are part of broader transaction planning or business improvement strategies.
Understanding value perspectives
“Value is in the eye of the beholder”—different parties legitimately reach different conclusions based on their circumstances, objectives, and risk assessments. Professional valuation acknowledges these differences whilst providing objective analysis that serves legal and commercial requirements.
Whether valuations support transaction planning, dispute resolution, or strategic decision-making, professional expertise ensures conclusions are credible, defensible, and strategically useful for your specific situation.
The valuation as strategic tool
Professional valuations often serve broader strategic purposes beyond immediate requirements. They provide foundations for negotiation strategies, settlement discussions, and long-term business planning that extends well beyond initial valuation objectives.
Contact UHY Haines Norton to arrange discussion about how our share and business valuation services can provide the professional analysis and strategic insight your situation requires.
