Impartial Divorce Appraisals for Oregon and Washington Couples

Q: Do you appraise everything we own, or only the house?

We appraise the real property. Businesses, retirement accounts, vehicles, and personal property require different valuation specialists, and the attorneys coordinate those alongside the real estate. Additional real property in the marital estate, a rental or a second home, is valued within the same engagement.

Q: Do you need documents from the divorce case?

No case filings are needed to begin. Property access, the purpose of the assignment, and any effective date counsel directs are the working requirements. Everything else the valuation needs comes from the inspection and the market research.

Q: Can one appraisal be used by both spouses?

Yes, if both parties and their attorneys agree. Many divorce matters involve a single neutral appraisal prepared by an independent appraiser. In other cases, each party may choose to obtain a separate appraisal. The appropriate approach depends on the circumstances of the case and the agreements reached between the parties and their attorneys.

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Impartial Divorce Appraisals for the Equitable Division of Property

The marital home is usually the largest asset on the table, and two people who disagree about plenty need one number neither side calls biased. Appraisal Services of Oregon delivers that number: impartial, independent, and documented for mediation and for court.

The Short Answer

Two sides. One number. Zero advocacy.

A divorce appraisal delivers an impartial, independent opinion of the marital home’s market value.

Our report advocates for neither party, only for the evidence, and both sides read the same documented reasoning. Couples and their attorneys pick between one neutral appraisal and one for each side. The effective date may be the current date or a retrospective date, such as the date of separation or another date required by the parties, their attorneys, or the court. Six factors set the fee, quoted after one short conversation. Appraisal Services of Oregon prepares every divorce report clear enough for mediation and strong enough for court.

Six factors set the fee, quoted after one short conversation.

Definition

What Is a Divorce Appraisal?

A divorce appraisal is an impartial, independent opinion of market value that advocates for neither party, only for the evidence. Because appraisers are required to remain impartial under USPAP, the opinion of value is developed from the market evidence rather than the interests of either party. A State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser licensed in Oregon and Washington signs every report.

The Difference

How Divorce Appraisals Differ from Traditional Mortgage-Based Appraisals

A mortgage-based appraisal serves a lender making a loan decision; a divorce appraisal serves two parties dividing property. Both follow USPAP, and the intended use changes everything else. The effective date follows the case instead of the closing, the intended users are the parties and their attorneys instead of an underwriter, and the documentation is built for mediation and court instead of a loan file.

Lender-driven and case-driven assignments compared

Structure

Why Opt for a Neutral Divorce Settlement Appraisal?

A neutral divorce settlement appraisal gives both parties one documented value, which serves mediation especially well. Separate appraisals arise when each side wants its own advisor, and the attorneys direct the choice.

Every report names its client and its intended users, and the parties named rely on it with full standing.

From a Recent Divorce Assignment

Over more than 24 years of residential appraisal experience, I have completed numerous divorce assignments in which both parties agreed to retain a single independent appraiser rather than commissioning separate appraisals. By providing one impartial, well-supported opinion of value, both parties and their attorneys are able to evaluate the same market evidence throughout the negotiation or mediation process.

One impartial value both parties and their attorneys work from

Current date and separation date as effective dates

The Date

Valuing the Marital Home as of the Separation Date

Divorce matters value the marital home as of today or as of a separation date the attorneys direct. Past-date work runs through our retrospective real estate appraisals, with the value fixed to the chosen date and backed by market evidence from that period. Picking the date belongs to the attorneys and the case; delivering a defensible value on that date belongs to us.

From a Recent Divorce Assignment

Retrospective valuations are a common part of my divorce appraisal practice. Whether the effective date is the date of separation or another date established during the legal proceedings, I reconstruct the market as it existed at that time using historical comparable sales, archived market data, and other available evidence to develop a well-supported opinion of value as of the required effective date.

A separation-date value rebuilt from historical market evidence

Who It Serves

Who Uses Divorce Appraisal Services?

Both spouses, family-law attorneys, and mediators all use divorce appraisal services around the same neutral number. Whichever structure the case takes, the deliverable holds one standard:

An impartial market value

Backed by comparable evidence both sides examine line by line.

A full USPAP report

With a stated scope of work and a signed certification, built on our standard appraisal process.

Mediation clarity, courtroom strength

Readable enough to settle with, documented well enough to defend.

How It Works

Divorce Appraisal Process: One Inspection, One Report

1

Start with a conversation

Either spouse, both spouses jointly, or an attorney may initiate the appraisal assignment. Call 503-757-7100 to discuss the property, the purpose of the appraisal, and the effective date required for the assignment.

2

One inspection, zero advocacy

We inspect the property and build the evidence; who engaged us changes nothing in the analysis.

3

Both sides read the same report

A clear, USPAP compliant valuation, ready for mediation and documented for court.

The Fee

How Much Does a Divorce Appraisal Cost?

The cost of a divorce appraisal follows the specific assignment, never a published rate. Complexity and past dates change the work, and six factors decide the fee:

Property type and complexity

Intended use of the appraisal

Purpose of the assignment

Property location and travel requirements

Research and analysis required

Scope of work and reporting requirements

One short conversation scopes the case and quotes it accurately.

Coverage

Divorce Appraisal Coverage Across Oregon and Washington

Appraisal Services of Oregon serves clients across the Portland Metro, the Willamette Valley from Salem through Eugene-Springfield, the Oregon Coast, the Columbia River Gorge, and Southwest Washington, with select assignments beyond the primary service area.

SERVICE REGIONS

FAQ

Divorce Appraisal Questions Couples and Attorneys Ask

Does it matter which of us hires the appraiser?

No, the value follows the evidence regardless of which party engages the assignment. Advocacy is prohibited under USPAP, and the conclusion rests on comparable sales rather than on the engagement. The report reads the same whichever side ordered it.

What happens when two appraisals reach different values?

Differences between appraisals are not uncommon and often result from differing comparable sales, market interpretations, or appraisal methodologies. The comparable sales, the adjustments, and the reasoning are all visible, so the attorneys examine where the analyses diverge. Resolving the difference belongs to the parties and their counsel; documenting the reasoning is our part.

Do both spouses need to be present at the inspection?

No, access to the property is the only requirement, and attendance is arranged however the parties prefer. One party, both parties, or neither attends, as the situation and counsel direct. The inspection reads the property, not the household.

Is the appraisal confidential?

Yes, the report goes to the client and the intended users named in it, and USPAP holds appraisers to confidentiality with client information. Who receives the report is settled at engagement, and the attorneys direct any wider distribution the case requires.

Do you appraise everything we own, or only the house?

We appraise the real property. Businesses, retirement accounts, vehicles, and personal property require different valuation specialists, and the attorneys coordinate those alongside the real estate. Additional real property in the marital estate, a rental or a second home, is valued within the same engagement.

Do you need documents from the divorce case?

No case filings are needed to begin. Property access, the purpose of the assignment, and any effective date counsel directs are the working requirements. Everything else the valuation needs comes from the inspection and the market research.

Can one appraisal be used by both spouses?

Yes, if both parties and their attorneys agree. Many divorce matters involve a single neutral appraisal prepared by an independent appraiser. In other cases, each party may choose to obtain a separate appraisal. The appropriate approach depends on the circumstances of the case and the agreements reached between the parties and their attorneys.

Will you testify in court if necessary?

Yes. Although many divorce matters are resolved through negotiation or mediation, we are available to provide expert witness testimony when requested. If expert testimony is anticipated, we discuss those requirements during the initial consultation so the appropriate scope of work and fee can be established.