How are disputes over the value of a business or an ownership interest handled?

Valuation is frequently the central, contested issue when owners separate or one seeks to exit — what is the business actually worth, and therefore what is a departing owner’s interest worth? These disputes often involve competing valuation approaches and financial experts, and they can be difficult to resolve because reasonable professionals genuinely disagree on methodology and assumptions. Mediation is well suited to valuation disputes because the exercise is fundamentally about reconciling numbers and assumptions rather than assigning fault. A neutral who understands business and financial realities can help the parties narrow the gap between competing valuations and reach a negotiated figure — for a buyout, a distribution, or a separation — far more efficiently than litigating dueling appraisals to trial.