How to Value Assets for Divorce in Florida

Classification Date vs. Valuation Date

Florida law draws a distinction that trips up many filers. The classification date — marital or nonmarital — is typically the date the dissolution petition is filed. But the valuation date for determining what those assets are worth is not automatically the filing date. The judge sets the valuation date based on what is fair, which could be the filing date, the date of separation, the date of trial, or some other date.

This matters because asset values change. A stock portfolio worth $200,000 at filing might be worth $180,000 at trial. A house appraised during the initial discovery period might need a fresh appraisal months later. Knowing which date the court will use affects every number on your equitable distribution grid.

Real Estate

For the marital home and any other real property, the standard is a licensed real estate appraisal. Zillow estimates, tax assessor values, and Redfin comparables are useful starting points but are not substitutes for a licensed appraisal when a formal fair-market-value opinion is needed.

A licensed appraiser inspects the property, reviews comparable sales, and produces a formal report with a specific value as of a specific date. In contested cases, each spouse typically hires their own appraiser, and the court either picks one or arrives at a value somewhere between the two.

Appraisal costs in Florida generally run $300 to $600 for a single-family home. Commercial property or large estates cost more.

For rental property and investment real estate, the appraisal should also account for income capitalization — the value based on the property's rental income stream, not just comparable sales.

Financial Accounts

Bank accounts, brokerage accounts, and money market accounts are valued at their statement balance on the agreed-upon valuation date. This is straightforward — pull the statement, read the number.

Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, 403(b)) are also valued at the statement balance, but with a critical caveat: the balance is pre-tax for traditional accounts. A $200,000 traditional 401(k) is not worth $200,000 in purchasing power — it is worth $200,000 minus the income taxes that will be due when the money is withdrawn. Comparing a pre-tax retirement account to a post-tax savings account at face value produces a lopsided split.

Vehicles and Personal Property

Vehicles are typically valued at Kelley Blue Book trade-in value, not private-party or retail value. The trade-in value reflects what you would actually receive in a transaction, net of dealer margin.

Household furnishings, electronics, and personal property are valued at fair market value — what a willing buyer would pay, not what you paid originally. Most household items depreciate heavily. Courts rarely spend significant time on personal property unless individual items are worth more than a few thousand dollars.

Closely Held Businesses: The 2024 Rules

If either spouse owns a business, partnership, or professional practice acquired or grown during the marriage, valuing that interest is the most complex part of the case.

Effective July 1, 2024, Florida Statute § 61.075 codifies the valuation standard for closely held businesses as fair market value — defined as the price at which the business would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither under compulsion.

The statute also formally separates two types of goodwill:

Enterprise goodwill is the value that exists independent of the owner — the company's brand, recurring client contracts, operating systems, and trained workforce. Enterprise goodwill is a marital asset subject to division.

Personal goodwill is value that depends entirely on the owner-spouse's personal reputation, relationships, and skills. If the business would lose most of its revenue without the owner walking through the door, that value is personal goodwill — and it is classified as nonmarital under the 2024 amendments.

The court must consider whether a restrictive covenant (non-compete agreement) would be required in a hypothetical sale. If the buyer would demand a non-compete, that suggests some of the business value is personal. But the existence of a potential non-compete does not automatically exclude all goodwill from the marital estate.

In practice, business valuation in a Florida divorce almost always requires a qualified expert — a CPA, a Certified Valuation Analyst, or an Accredited Business Appraiser. Expert fees for a business valuation typically range from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the complexity.

The Common Valuation Mistakes

Comparing pre-tax to post-tax dollars. A $300,000 traditional IRA assigned to one spouse is not equivalent to $300,000 in a savings account assigned to the other. The IRA will be taxed at ordinary income rates upon withdrawal. A tax-adjusted comparison evens out this distortion.

Using listing prices instead of appraisals. A house listed at $500,000 may appraise at $470,000. The listing price reflects what the seller hopes to get, not what the market supports.

Ignoring embedded capital gains. If the marital home has appreciated from a $250,000 purchase price to $650,000, the spouse who keeps the house is sitting on $400,000 of potential capital gain. When they eventually sell, they can exclude up to $250,000 (single filer) under IRC § 121 — but the remaining $150,000 is taxable. A truly equitable split accounts for this future tax hit.

Overlooking appreciation on separate property. A premarital rental property that appreciated during the marriage may have a marital component — the portion of appreciation attributable to marital funds or either spouse's effort. Ignoring this leaves value on the table.

Getting the Numbers Right

The Florida Divorce Financial Split Guide includes a tax-adjusted asset comparison worksheet that accounts for the pre-tax vs. post-tax gap, and a valuation checklist that walks you through every asset class in your estate — real property, financial accounts, vehicles, businesses, and personal property.

See more Florida guides →