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Wasatch Range over the Salt Lake Valley, Utah
Service Divorce · Marital Dissolution · Mediation

Independent divorce & marital dissolution appraisals — Utah

Neutral USPAP-compliant real estate appraisals for equitable distribution, buyout calculations, mediation, and court testimony. Independent, non-AMC. Signed by a Utah Certified Residential Appraiser (Lic. 10948175-CR00). Engaged jointly by both parties' attorneys or by either side individually.

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Dan Miner · Certified Residential Appraiser · Utah Lic. 10948175‑CR00

What is a divorce appraisal?

A divorce appraisal is a USPAP-compliant opinion of market value on the marital residence — or other real property at issue in the dissolution — prepared specifically for use in marital-dissolution proceedings. The intended use is documented in the engagement letter and on the report cover: equitable distribution, buyout calculation, mediation support, or expert testimony. The intended users are named: the parties, their attorneys, the mediator, or the court.

The work product is the same defensible narrative report we deliver for any other legal purpose — three to five closed comparable sales, adjustment grid, photographs, signed certification by a state-certified appraiser. What differs from a lender appraisal is the intended-use disclosure, the neutrality posture, and the willingness of the appraiser to defend the opinion under deposition or cross-examination.

When do you need one?

  • Buyout of one spouse by the other — the most common use case. A neutral signed appraisal turns "what's the house worth?" from an argument into a number.
  • Equitable distribution at sale — when the marital home is being sold and proceeds split, the appraisal supports listing strategy and pre-empts later disputes about whether the sale price was fair.
  • Mediation support — most Utah divorces settle in mediation; a defensible joint appraisal removes valuation as a contested issue and shortens the mediation.
  • Court testimony or trial preparation — when the case does not settle, a signed USPAP report and a credible expert witness become the valuation evidence the judge weighs.
  • Date-of-separation valuation — when post-separation appreciation is being treated differently from marital appreciation, a retrospective appraisal anchors the separation-date value.
  • Investment-property and second-home divisions — non-marital-residence real property (rentals, cabins, vacation homes) needs the same defensible record as the primary residence.

Our process

  1. Engagement. Send the property address, the effective date (typically current, sometimes date of separation or filing — confirm with family-law counsel), the intended use, and whether the engagement is joint (both parties / both attorneys) or single-party. We confirm scope and quote a fee in writing — usually within one business day.
  2. Inspection. One to two hours on site, interior and exterior, with photographs and measurement. We schedule at the mutual convenience of both occupying parties when possible; for high-conflict situations, we coordinate with attorneys to arrange access.
  3. Comparable research. Three to five closed comparable sales, weighted for proximity, similarity, and time. For retrospective effective dates (date of separation, date of filing), comparables come from the period leading up to that date — not later.
  4. Report and delivery. A 25–40 page narrative report with cover-page certification, signed by the appraiser, transmitted as a PDF to all named intended users simultaneously when the engagement is joint. Typical turnaround: 5–7 business days from inspection access.
  5. Optional testimony. If the matter progresses to deposition or trial, the engaging attorney calls and schedules; testimony is billed hourly with travel.

Fees and turnaround

Divorce appraisal fees price near our standard residential baseline for typical single-family residences. Joint engagements (one report, both sides) are the most cost-efficient path. Single-party engagements price the same; expert-witness deposition or trial testimony is billed separately at an hourly rate. We quote in writing before engagement; no surprises. Submit a quote request with the property address and the effective date for a firm number within one business day.

Turnaround is 5–7 business days from inspection access. Rush turnaround is available for mediation deadlines, scheduling-order dates, or contested-hearing dates; flag the deadline at engagement.

Why hire an independent (non-AMC) appraiser for divorce work

Appraisal Management Company orders are built for lender refinance workflows — high-volume, formula-driven, with the AMC's fee split disclosed on the cover page and the appraiser swapped in by rotation. Divorce work needs the opposite profile: direct engagement, transparent fee structure, neutral positioning, and an appraiser willing to be named in court filings and deposed on the methodology.

Miner Appraisals is owner-operated and does not accept AMC orders. The appraiser who answers the inquiry is the appraiser who inspects the property and signs the report. The license number on the cover page is verifiable directly at secure.utah.gov/llv/search. See our full credentials and license verification page.

Frequently asked

A USPAP‑compliant opinion of market value on the marital residence (or other real property) prepared for use in marital‑dissolution proceedings. The intended use is typically equitable distribution, buyout calculation, mediation support, or court testimony. The effective date is usually current, but Utah cases sometimes anchor to the date of separation, the date of filing, or another stipulated date — the report states the effective date explicitly.
Yes — and that is typically the most efficient path. A single neutral appraiser jointly engaged by both attorneys (or by the parties directly) produces one signed report relied on by both sides. This is far cheaper and faster than dueling appraisals, and the result is usually accepted in mediation without further valuation work. Joint engagement is documented in writing with both parties as intended users.
If the parties cannot agree on a joint appraiser, each side may engage their own — the court then weighs the two opinions. We will accept a single‑party engagement when needed and produce the same USPAP‑compliant report; intended‑user disclosure will name only the engaging party. Expert‑witness deposition or testimony is available at additional fee if the matter goes to trial.
That is a legal question, not an appraisal question — confirm with the family‑law attorney before engagement. Common choices in Utah are: today's date (current market value, often used for buyout calculations), date of separation (for cases where post‑separation appreciation is treated as separate property), or date of filing. Whatever date is chosen, the report will be a current appraisal or a retrospective appraisal accordingly, with the methodology and effective date stated explicitly.
Yes. Deposition and trial testimony are available, billed at an hourly rate plus travel, disclosed in the engagement letter. Most divorce appraisals do not progress to testimony — a defensible signed report usually settles the valuation question at mediation — but the report is prepared from the start as if testimony may be required.
Standard turnaround is 5–7 business days from inspection access. Rush turnaround is available for mediation deadlines, hearing dates, or contested‑buyout timelines; flag the deadline at engagement. The inspection itself is one to two hours on site, scheduled at mutual convenience of both occupying parties when possible.
AMC orders are built for lender refinance workflows — fast, formula‑driven, with the AMC's fee split disclosed on the cover. Divorce work needs the opposite profile: direct engagement, neutral positioning, an appraiser who can be deposed, and a report that will be scrutinized by opposing counsel. Direct engagement with a state‑certified Residential Appraiser is the defensible record.

Related reading

The effective-date decision (date of separation vs. date of filing vs. date of trial) is the most consequential call in any Utah divorce appraisal — see the long-form date of separation vs. date of trial guide for the appraiser's view, written for family-law attorneys. For divorce matters that progress to deposition or trial, see our expert‑witness & litigation appraisals service page. For background on retrospective effective dates and the methodology behind date-of-separation or date-of-filing valuations, see our guide to retrospective appraisals for Utah attorneys. For estate and probate work — which follows similar retrospective methodology with different statutory anchors — see our estate, probate & date-of-death appraisals service page. Property tax appeal work is covered on our tax appeal appraisal service page.

Coverage

Divorce and marital-dissolution engagements regularly across Salt Lake County, Utah County, Davis County, Summit County, Wasatch County, Tooele County, Morgan County, and Weber County. Travel beyond these counties available for attorney work — ask.

Request a quote

Divorce, mediation, or buyout valuation? Get a neutral quote.

Tell us the property and the effective date — single-party or joint engagement, both are fine.