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We understand finances because we are financial advisors. Our divorce financial professionals have earned top designations and certifications, such as CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP^®) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA^®).

The majority of the decisions that you will make in your divorce process may be financial decisions. As financial planners and divorce financial professionals, we bring experience and unique perspective to help you and your family work through the financial issues of your divorce.

A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst^® (CDFA^®) is a divorce financial professional. We are a valuable asset during the divorce process, both for clients and other professionals involved the case, because we have a thorough understanding of the financial obstacles that arise during divorce.

We attained this certification to ensure that your needs now and after divorce are heard, assessed properly and explained to achieve a fair and worry-free outcome.

Data Gathering
We help to collect and organize all of your financial information. As a starting point to the divorce process, we need a thorough understanding of your financial situation, which is accomplished by collecting all of your financial information. Once everything is gathered, we can start making sense of it.

Data Organization
After all of the information is collected, we help make sense of it by organizing and entering the data into our reports. The three main reports that are generated as part of the divorce process are a budget, tax report (to show the impact of taxes and net income), and a balance sheet (used for the division of assets).

Managing Expectations
Many couples can’t afford their standard of living with one household, let alone support two households following divorce. Without the counsel of a CDFA^®, divorced individuals can easily end up with unmanageable expenses and debt. We help you manage expectations about lifestyle following divorce to avoid this. It is often more advantageous to work with us to help set realistic expectations than it is to evaluate options alone.

Tax and Cash Flow Projections
We help families understand the unique tax considerations surrounding divorce, including evaluating change of filing status, exemptions, tax credits. By incorporating these factors into tax and cash flow projections, families can make educated and financially sound decisions regarding future housing and cash flow.

Financial Strategies and Settlement Scenarios
This is usually the area that people need the most guidance. We help to illustrate different cash flow and property division scenarios, and provide guidance so that you understand the pros and cons of the various options available. Detailed financial analysis of possible settlement outcomes is a powerful tool for you and attorneys when evaluating financial options. This is where our experience sets us apart.

• Understand the tax impact of spousal maintenance
• Evaluate higher spousal maintenance payments over a shorter time period versus lower payments over a longer time period
• Consider a lump sum buyout of spousal maintenance
• Change ownership of real estate and mortgages
• Transfer retirement accounts without triggering a taxable event
• Avoid the 10% penalty when distributing retirement dollars pursuant to the divorce
• Understand the present value of a pension plan (TRA, PERA, etc.)
• Transfer investment (non-retirement) accounts without triggering a taxable event
• Evaluate reduced standards of living after the divorce
• Calculate the basis of investments
• Review tax implications on the sale of investments
• Consider the long-term effect of inflation and how it may affect retirement needs
• Evaluate risk
• Evaluate different settlement options

These are some of the many financial issues we help our clients with as they work through the divorce process.

1. We save you both time and money because we know exactly what is needed to help fast-track the process.
2. We help you avoid financial pitfalls in your final divorce agreement.
3. We provide you with confidence knowing that all options have been considered.
4. We assist you in developing a reasonable budget to help you avoid financial issues after the divorce.

Our objective approach allows you to choose the level of service that works best for you.

Collaborative Financial Neutral
We help both you and your spouse collaboratively problem-solve your financial issues as a neutral; this includes evaluating and understanding financial information so that you both make informed decisions for yourselves and your children.

This process typically also includes the use of collaborative attorneys, child specialists and family coaches. As a member of your professional team, we work to reach an outcome that is acceptable to both you and your spouse. Click here for more information on the collaborative process.

Mediation Services / Financial Neutral
We work with you and your spouse in an interest-based negotiation process to help solve the financial issues of divorce. Most clients start with this process if they don’t want to hire attorneys (or are not sure), but want to begin the financial piece. We are very flexible and will tailor this process to meet your family’s needs. Click here for more information on the mediation process.

Divorce Financial Consultant
This is a limited service option often chosen when you are trying to work through as much of the divorce process as possible, on your own. We act as a neutral or non-neutral consultant to help you review everything and ensure that you’re not making any major mistakes, as well as answer any questions that you may have. We provide you with peace-of-mind knowing things are done right.

Financial Non-Neutral or One-Party Support
If you prefer one-party support, we provide a view of various settlement options to help you chart the course that best meets your life and financial goals. We bring real facts and numbers to the table to clarify any gray areas in the settlement process.

This option is often chosen when one spouse is reluctant to work with other professionals, as well as when your divorce is close to being finalized, but you want an objective financial evaluation to ensure that everything is accounted for and you’re not making any big mistakes. This process is also helpful to educate and get one party up-to-speed on financials, if they haven’t handled family finances previously.

Divorce Aftercare
Once the settlement is in place, we work with you to help get you back on your financial feet as quickly as possible. We are known for creating a clear and sensible plan in partnership with your chosen legal counsel and other professionals, such as accountants, child specialists and mental health professionals. Clients with a lot of financial knowledge, or just a little, find our style equally insightful. We offer our experience to help you share your concerns, address conflicts and find solutions that feel right for you. You’ll grow in knowledge, strength and confidence as you enter the next stage of your life.