A divorce appraisal is usually ordered by the people who need the value to divide property fairly: most often one or both spouses, sometimes through their lawyers, and in some cases by the court itself.
- One spouse may order an appraisal if they plan to keep the home or buy out the other spouse’s share and need a credible value to negotiate.
- Both spouses may jointly agree to hire a neutral appraiser so they share one report and reduce conflict and cost.
- A divorce or family lawyer will often arrange and formally request the appraisal on a client’s behalf so it meets legal and evidentiary standards.
- A judge or the court can order an appraisal when the case is contested and the court needs an independent value to divide assets or decide on a buyout.
- In many divorces, the spouses share the cost of a single, jointly ordered appraisal as part of their overall case expenses.
- If each spouse hires a separate appraiser, each typically pays their own expert’s fee, unless a judge later reallocates costs.
- Courts sometimes order one spouse (for example, the higher‑earning one) to pay more or all of the appraisal cost, depending on financial circumstances.
When multiple appraisals are ordered
- If one spouse disagrees with the first value, that spouse may order a second, independent appraisal to challenge or compare numbers.
- In difficult disputes, the court may appoint its own expert appraiser and use that value, especially when the parties’ appraisals are far apart.
If you tell more about your situation (for example, whether you and your spouse are cooperating or in court), a more tailored explanation of who should order the appraisal and how to structure payment can be given.