Swinehart adds that Deloitte isn�t the only firm staffing up on forensic accountants. �We - and all our competitors - are looking to recruit people and retain the people we have,� he says.

According to Swinehart, the search for forensic accountants isn�t limited to the Big Four and their competitors. �Companies themselves are looking to hire more people as they expand their internal control and investigative units,� he says. �There is widespread demand (for forensic accountants) in government, corporate America and professional services firms.�

Protiviti, Inc., a New York internal audit and risk management consulting firm, anticipates doubling the size of its forensic accounting operations in 2006. �Fraud and litigation continue to proliferate in the corporate world,� says Managing Director Ken Yormark. Noting that regulatory requirements, �including fraud risk assessments,� are bringing more potential frauds to light, Yormark says companies want more outside experts to conduct independent investigations.

The hardest part of recruiting is finding people with the right skill sets, Yormark adds. �Not many accountants are accustomed to, or comfortable with, working in an unstructured, quick response environment. Having investigative experience is a big plus for candidates, as well,� he says.

Salaries On The Rise

Thanks to this demand, salaries for forensic accountants are on the rise, says Keith Feinberg, director of permanent placement services for Robert Half Finance & Accounting in New York. �In addition to offering higher starting salaries, companies are creating more competitive benefits packages, including bonuses, flexible scheduling options and other incentives,� he says.

A mid-career accountant who�s been an auditor or partner for 10 or 20 years can make a meaningful transition into the field over the course of six months to two years. Deloitte also hires accounting graduates, then sends them to a fraud boot camp to learn to use forensic investigation tools.

To be successful in litigation support and fraud investigation, you�ll need good teamwork skills: A typical forensic hit squad includes an auditor, a criminal expert (think former FBI, prosecutors and Department of Justice types), a technology guru, a private investigator and sometimes an economist.

And, accountants and recruiters say, you won�t have to worry that demand for your skills will drop off. Even if Sarbanes-Oxley becomes an accounting history footnote, lawyers will still need forensic accountants, says Mitchell Freedman, CPA, of MFAC Financial Advisors, Inc., in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

�The need for forensic accountants is growing exponentially, along with the explosion in litigation and divorce,� he explains. So, unless companies suddenly stop suing and couples stop divorcing, your skills will always be on call.