A forensic accountant is generally an accountant with expertise in detecting financial fraud or manipulation in personal and business tax returns, bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, broker accounts, offshore accounts, cash, cryptocurrency, jewels, art, cars, yachts, airplanes, real estate, life insurance policies, and related financial documents. This financial investigation work is often referred to as tracing, financial tracing, or asset tracing, and generally involves “following the money” by tracing a piece of financial information or data back to its source.

In divorce litigation—and especially in high-asset or high-net-worth divorces in which there is significant marital or community property—any financial manipulation or fraud of personal or business finances may have a significant effect on the marital or community property that is available for division, and on spousal support and child support payment amounts. One or both spouses in a divorce may hire a forensic accountant to discover any hidden assets or manipulated financial documents that may prevent the court from having an accurate accounting of the marital or community property assets and the spouses’ incomes.

In Nevada, forensic accountants play a crucial role in divorce litigation, particularly in cases involving high assets or high net worth. Nevada is a community property state, meaning that all property acquired during the marriage is considered jointly owned by both spouses and should be divided equally upon divorce. A forensic accountant's expertise in uncovering financial fraud and tracing assets is invaluable in ensuring an equitable division of marital property. They are tasked with identifying hidden assets and manipulated financial documents that could affect the distribution of marital assets and the determination of spousal and child support payments. The use of forensic accountants is not regulated by specific statutes in Nevada, but their findings can be used as evidence in court to challenge or support claims regarding the financial status of the parties involved. Attorneys often engage forensic accountants to provide a detailed analysis of the financial complexities in a divorce case to protect their client's interests and to present a clear financial picture to the court.