Forensic Accounting
Independent analysis of what happened to money, what a loss is worth, and what the financial records do and do not show.
We trace funds through bank accounts and entities, investigate suspected fraud and irregularities, quantify commercial losses, and support litigation with clear expert evidence.
We work for lawyers, business owners, directors and accountants who need the financial facts established before they decide what to do next.
Our reports separate what the records show, what we have assumed, and what remains unknown.
You don't need a court order, or even a lawyer, to get a forensic accountant's help. If you have bank statements, tax returns and business accounts but don't know where to start, we turn the pile of paper into a clear picture, a list of action items and the right questions to ask.
An independent investigation can establish what happened, how much is involved and what the evidence supports, before you confront anyone or take legal action.
We follow money through bank accounts, entities and transactions, and present the result in a form that lawyers and courts can follow.
Independent forensic accounting support for lawyers and their clients in commercial, family law and employment disputes, from early case assessment and mediation to expert reports and court. We are forensic accountants working alongside your legal team, not lawyers.
An independent, reasoned calculation of the financial loss in a dispute, prepared so lawyers can rely on it in negotiation, mediation or court.
Find out whether your people have been paid correctly under their award or enterprise agreement, put a defensible figure on any underpayment, and fix it before it becomes a regulator, union or wage theft problem.
Funds moved between accounts, entities or people, with gaps in the records. We reconstruct the flow from bank statements and source documents.
Unexplained payments, unusual margins or a bookkeeper with too much control. We investigate and report on what the evidence supports.
A breached contract, an interrupted business or a lost opportunity. We quantify the financial impact on a reasoned basis.
We review opposing financial evidence, identify weaknesses and assumptions, and help legal teams frame questions.
Forensic accountants establish financial facts and give opinions within their expertise. Questions of legal liability, intent or credibility are for the court.
Principal
Principal, Maxwind
Erin is the principal of Maxwind Analytics. Her background combines corporate finance, building and running businesses, and specialist valuation and forensic work.
Maxwind Analytics has advised Melbourne businesses and their advisers since 2020.
About ErinMost forensic matters are offered with a clear scope and a fixed fee. Larger investigations are broken into stages, each with its own fixed fee, so you decide at each point whether more work is worthwhile.
No. You can hire a forensic accountant at any time, before a dispute, during one, or simply because the numbers don't add up. A court order only affects how expert evidence is used if a matter later goes to court.
Read the full answerNo, you can engage a forensic accountant directly. But if there is a legal dispute, or one is likely, bring your lawyer in early. Your lawyer frames the legal questions, we answer the financial ones, and the two need to line up.
Read the full answerHourly rates for forensic accountants in Australia are commonly around $300 to $600, depending on experience and complexity. The hourly rate tells you little on its own. The total depends on the question, the volume of records and the type of report, which is why a clear scope and fixed fee is the better guide.
Read the full answerNo. Price reflects a firm's overheads and brand as much as the quality of the work. A good forensic accountant asks the right question, tests the evidence, and explains conclusions that survive cross-examination. Those things don't come with a premium price tag.
Read the full answerAn auditor gives an opinion on whether financial statements are fairly presented, using sampling and materiality. A forensic accountant answers a specific question, such as where money went or what a loss is worth, and examines the transactions that matter in detail, often for a dispute or investigation.
Read the full answerOften, yes, if records exist. A forensic accountant traces funds through bank statements and transaction documents, and looks for patterns such as unexplained transfers, cash withdrawals or lifestyle spending that income does not support. Where the trail breaks, the report identifies the gap and which records could close it.
Read the full answerAs early as possible. Early advice helps preserve records, focus the questions and avoid spending on analysis that will not answer the issue in dispute.
Yes. Most matters involve gaps. We work with what exists, request what is missing, and state clearly how the gaps affect our findings.
A short conversation is usually enough to tell whether we can help and what the work would involve.
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