I'm Josh Levine, a personal property and fine art appraiser in Phoenix, formerly J. Levine Auction & Appraisal. Arizona is a community property state, so the paintings, the jewelry, the furniture and the collections have to be valued before they can be divided. By the time I'm called, the two people in the house usually have very different ideas about what things are worth, and both of them are partly right.
My job is to take the argument out of it: examine each item, research what it would actually sell for, and write a report that both attorneys can rely on. I don't work for either side. I work for the number.
When you need a neutral appraiser
Household contents are often split by agreement without anyone like me involved. You need an appraiser when the property includes things of real or disputed value: fine art, Native American jewelry and weavings, antiques, silver, coins, firearms, instruments, wine, designer furniture, a collection one spouse built, or anything one party claims is worth a great deal and the other claims is worth nothing.
Attorneys usually handle it one of two ways. Both sides agree on a single neutral appraiser and split the cost, which is quicker and cheaper. Or each side retains their own, and the court weighs both. I've done both. When I'm the joint appraiser, both attorneys get the same report at the same time.
Fair market value, as of a date
Property division uses fair market value: what the item would bring between a willing buyer and a willing seller, with neither forced to act. That is not the insurance value. The insurance schedule in the file drawer states retail replacement cost, and it is often much higher than what the piece would actually fetch. Dividing property by insurance values hands one spouse a paper number and the other the real thing. My report explains the difference so neither attorney has to.
The valuation date matters as much as the value. Depending on the case, the attorneys may want values as of separation, as of filing or as of trial. Tell me the date and I'll research the market as it stood then.
What you get
An itemized report with a description, photographs, measurements, condition and fair market value for each piece, the comparable sales behind each value, the value definition and effective date, my credentials and a signed certification, prepared to USPAP standards. When I'm retained jointly, each attorney receives an identical copy. If the matter goes to hearing, I'm available to testify to the report; expert witness work is part of what I do.
Where it helps, I'll also note which items are easiest to sell if the parties decide to liquidate rather than split, and which would lose value if sold quickly.
How the process works
An attorney or one of the parties calls me. We settle who is retaining me, which items are in scope and the valuation date, and I quote the job. I schedule one visit to the home, or to wherever the property is, and photograph and document everything on the list. I work around both parties' schedules and I'm discreet; there's no reason the neighbors need to know an appraiser came by. Then I research and write, and the report goes to the attorneys.
Timeline
I reply within one business day. A short list of significant items moves quickly. A full household takes longer because each item has to be researched individually. If a disclosure deadline, mediation or hearing date is already set, tell me on the first call and I'll plan to it.
How quotes work
I quote the whole job up front based on the number of items and the research involved, and the fee is the same no matter what the report concludes or who ends up with what. It is never a percentage of value and never contingent on the outcome. I don't buy what I appraise and I don't broker sales between the parties.
A practical note
The fastest divorces I've worked on were the ones where both parties made one combined list of everything they thought mattered before I arrived. Walk the house together if you can, or separately if you can't, write down the items, and let me value the list. Arguing about a lamp costs more in attorney time than the lamp is worth. Knowing the real number usually settles the argument on its own.