Divorce appraisals
Divorce Appraisals for the Riverside Marital Home
We give you a written opinion of what the home is worth on the date your attorneys choose, for the people they name. We don't decide who gets what: how the house is divided, or what a buyout looks like, stays with the spouses, their attorneys and the court.
For spouses and family-law attorneys.
What the appraisal does, and doesn't, decide
A state-credentialed appraiser develops an independent, USPAP-compliant opinion of the home's market value. That is the whole job. The appraisal does not decide either spouse's share, how the mortgage is allocated, or the terms of a buyout.
Whether the house is shared or separate property is legal work for your attorneys; the court's self-help page on property and debts explains the basics. The number matters because when one spouse keeps the house, its equity is what a buyout, or an offset against other assets, is measured against.
Agree on three things before we start
Which date is being valued?
Family Code section 2552(a) sets the default: community assets and debts are valued as close to the time of trial as practical, not on the separation date. Under section 2552(b), on 30 days' notice to the other party and for good cause, the court may use a date after separation and before trial for some or all of them.
A published case from this county shows the default at work. In In re Marriage of Mohler, a 2020 appeal from the Riverside County Superior Court, the Court of Appeal said that when the community's interest in a residence is valued, the home is valued as of the trial date rather than the date of separation. Your attorneys tell us which date the report must address, and whether a trial that moves calls for an update.
Who orders the report, and who relies on it?
Agree before we begin who is engaging us, who may rely on the report, and whether both spouses are named. A figure a spouse lists on a court form and an appraisal prepared for settlement talks or trial can serve different ends.
Compared with which sales?
Riverside's neighborhoods come from very different decades. The City's profiles describe the Wood Streets as a place where nearly all homes were built before World War II, Mission Grove as developed mostly since the 1980s, and Arlington Heights as the city's lowest-density area, with residential lots of five acres or more. A marital home has to be compared with sales that share its age, lot, condition and setting, not just its ZIP code.
Testimony is a separate conversation
Testimony, a deposition or other support after the report is delivered is discussed separately, before the assignment is accepted. If your case may need it, say so on the first call so it can be scoped and quoted on its own.
What to gather
- The property address, and its assessor's parcel number if you have it
- The deed and the most recent mortgage statement
- The valuation date your attorney has chosen, and any trial or settlement date already set
- Who is ordering the appraisal and who should receive the report
- Changes since separation, such as repairs, additions, permits or damage, with dates
- Who lives in the home now and how to arrange a visit
How a divorce assignment goes
- Written terms first. We confirm the effective date, the purpose, the intended users and your deadline, then send a written scope, fee and delivery estimate.
- Visit. We arrange access with whoever controls the property and record its condition, size, layout and improvements.
- Market analysis. The appraiser selects Riverside sales relevant to the effective date and explains each adjustment.
- Report and questions. The report states the effective date, intended use, intended users and any assumptions. Factual questions go to the appraiser; questions about using the value in your case go to your attorney.
Delivery depends on availability, access, complexity and research, so we confirm a delivery estimate with you at the start rather than quoting one here. If your date is close, see rush appraisals.
Court and county
Divorce cases from the city are handled by the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. Under Local Rule 5101, family law papers go to the courthouse the court's administrative order designates, so have your attorney confirm the location before anything is filed.
Deeds between spouses raise a property-tax question too. The County of Riverside Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder lists transfers between spouses, including those resulting from divorce, among the transfers that may be excluded from reassessment (change of ownership page). Ask the Assessor's office or your attorney how a transfer between the two of you will be treated before a deed is recorded.
What it costs
As a price guide, the VA's published appraisal fee for a single-family home in Riverside County is $750 (VA fee schedule, effective May 1, 2026). A private divorce appraisal can cost more or less than that, depending on the property and the assignment. The date being valued, access and the reporting your case needs can change both the fee and the schedule.
Call 951-877-4884 or send the details, and you'll get a written, property-specific scope and fee before any work begins. Ask for it before you commit to a trial, settlement or disclosure date.
The September 2026 sold-listing figures on our service area page cover the whole City of Riverside and combine houses with condominiums, townhouses and apartments. A citywide median describes a month of sales, not one house, and section 2552 points to a value near trial, which may come long after September 2026.
Next step
Call us, or send the address, the purpose, the valuation date and who the report is for. If an inherited property is also part of the case, our estate appraisals page covers past-date values. Confirm dates, filings and tax treatment with your attorney.