Diana G. Lesgart, CPA, CFE, CVA, CFF
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Office: 818-886-7140
Fax: 818-886-7146
Ms. Lesgart is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner, a Certified Valuation Analyst, and Certified in Financial Forensics, with over 30 years accounting experience. She provides specialized accounting and litigation support services in all phases of family law litigation including cash available for support; business valuation; tracing of assets; pension plan tracing; Moore-Marsden calculations; post-separation accounting; stock option and other employee benefit analysis and tracing; hidden assets; unreported income and the all-important final negotiation phase of most divorces.
Ms. Lesgart is also an expert in general forensic accounting; commercial litigation; fraud investigations; trust and estates, including trust accountings; and real estate related litigation. In addition, Ms. Lesgart, for ten years through December of 2008, actively managed approx. 300,000 square feet of commercial, industrial and residential property in Burbank, CA, which gives her a unique insight into real estate and business issues.
Ms. Lesgart has qualified as an expert in most Southern California Court venues and has presented both written and oral expert witness testimony on hundreds of occasions. She has been appointed as the Evidence Code §730 joint accounting expert directly by the Court, as well as selected by the lawyers, in numerous divorce cases.
On November 2, 2010, Ms. Lesgart was accepted as a volunteer CPA Settlement Officer by the Los Angeles Superior Court office of Alternative Dispute Resolution for the Family Law Department.
In December of 2010, after many years of training and a rigorous two-day test, Ms. Lesgart earned a Black Belt in WTF Taekwondo. She competed in the Women’s Ultra Sparring division on a national level earning a bronze medal in 2010. Since 2017, Ms. Lesgart began training in a Muay-Thai kick boxing gym.
Finally, Ms. Lesgart is fully English/Spanish bilingual. Her bi-cultural background is a significant asset in understanding and properly counseling clients of all backgrounds in the increasingly multi-cultural Los Angeles market.
- Business
- Business Valuation
- Commercial Real Estate
- Economics
- Family Law
- Forensic Accounting
- Fraud Investigation
- Probate
- Real Estate Damages
- Trusts & Estates
- White Collar Crime
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Bachelor of Science, School of Accounting, University of Southern California - May 1984
Certified Public Accountant - October 1987
Certified Fraud Examiner - March 2003
Forensic Certified Public Accountant - Sept. 2005
Certified Valuation Analyst - January 2007
Certified in Financial Forensics - June 2010 - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: California Society of CPAs - since 1988
American Institute of CPAs - since 1988
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners - since 2001
Los Angeles County Bar Association - Associate Member - since 2000
National Assoc. of Certified Valuation Analysts - since November 2004
Forensic CPA Society - September 2005 - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Manhattan Beach and San Fernando Valley attorney study group speaker: "Indicators of Fraud and Unreported Income"; "Family Law Litigation Services"
San Fernando Valley WLALA group speaker: Same - Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Over 500 times working on my own since Sept. 1997, and as many times working for others prior to that.
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Family Law Litigation Forensic Accounting including: Cash available for support, business valuation, tracing of assets, pension accounting, post separation accounting for community property funds, Moore-Marsden calculations, community property balance sheet, settlement negotiations, unreported income, hidden asset search. Fraud investigation involving heavy real estate transactions. Trust and estate work involving preparation of trust accountings, review of trust accountings, calculations relating to estate matters.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: About 50% of the time.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: About 50% of the time.
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: 20+ times.
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: December 2022
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: 100+ times in person, over 400+ times through accepted expert written declaration.
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: 100+ times in person, over 400+ times through accepted expert written declaration.
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: Since 1988, over 35 years.
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Family Law Litigation Consulting including cash available for support, business valuation, tracing of assets, post-separation accounting, community/separate accounting, pension accounting, stock option analysis, hidden assets, unreported income, Moore-Marsden calculations, settlement, joint expert services. Fraud investigations. Real Estate related accounting, calculations. Trust accounting, trust and estate disputes.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: Starting October 1, 2023:
Usually the first consultation is free - about 1/2 hour. Then it is $480 per hour for regular work, and $520 per hour for testimony at deposition or trial, with a minimum of 4 hours morning or afternoon sessions. - Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $480 per hour starting October 1, 2023.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $520 per hour starting October 1, 2023, with minimum of 4 hours morning or afternoon sessions.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $420 per hour starting October 1, 2023, with minimum of 4 hours morning or afternoon sessions.
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: Charge for any direct costs for the client, such as use of outside bookkeeper, purchase of special software, or use of paid online title document services. Staff time is charged at $120, $180 or $200 per hour, depending on nature of work and experience level required, starting October 1, 2023.
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