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David Bay - It's in The Numbers

Collaborative Financial in Perth, WA

Area of Law: Family Law, Commercial

Phone: 0466 572044

David Bay is the Director of It's in the Numbers, a forensic accounting and business valuation practice based in Perth. He specialises in business valuations for family law property settlements, where the value of a family business, company or trust is often one of the largest and most contested items in the asset pool, and where a clear, independent figure can do a great deal to help the parties move towards agreement.

David brings more than 30 years of experience in finance and business to the role, including analytical and CFO roles with major resources companies. He has also prepared more than 150 business plans across a wide range of industries, so he has hands-on experience of most of the businesses that tend to arise in family law matters, and he understands how they actually operate rather than only how they appear in the financial statements.

As a financial neutral, David works with both parties and the collaborative team rather than for either side. He is approachable and empathetic by nature, and he recognises that separating couples are often dealing with a business they built together, which can make the numbers feel very personal. He explains valuations and financial information in plain language, without jargon, so that both parties understand how a figure has been reached and can feel confident in the information they are relying on. He is always happy to answer questions, however basic they may seem, and he is a strong supporter of the collaborative process, comfortable managing participants and working alongside lawyers, coaches and other professionals as part of the team.

Although based in Perth, David provides his services nationally. He has worked through many matters successfully using Google Meet and email, so distance is no impediment to his work, and interstate participants receive the same level of engagement as those in Perth.

David holds an MBA from the University of Western Australia, is a member of the Institute of Public Accountants (MIPA) with a Public Practice Certificate, and holds forensic accounting and fraud investigation certifications. He is listed with ExpertsDirect, has completed expert witness training with Loquitur, and is the author of two Australian personal finance books, The 3am Book and Suddenly Responsible: Starting Out.

Specialist skills

Business valuations for family law property settlements
Valuation of shareholdings, partnership interests and trust interests
Forensic review of business records and financial statements
Assessing business earnings and the income of business owners
Plain-language explanation of valuations and financial information

Qualifications and memberships

MBA, University of Western Australia
Member, Institute of Public Accountants (MIPA), Public Practice Certificate
Forensic accounting and fraud investigation certifications
Expert witness training, Loquitur
Australian Association of Collaborative Professionals (AACP)

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