You may be familiar with the idea of including a financial neutral as part of your divorce team if you are considering mediation or collaborative divorce. However, not every mediation or collaborative divorce necessitates having a financial neutral involved in the case. So, when do you need a financial neutral? 1. You have a complex…
Agreeing to a divorce settlement can be overwhelming, especially when you read through the legal jargon incorporated in your decree. There is some standard language you may see that clients commonly have questions about. One of the most asked questions has to do with the phrase “plus or minus gains and losses.” It is very…
The most frequent question we get from clients is, “Is this a fair settlement offer?”. This is a complicated question and differs depending on every situation. There is no one size fits all answer for a variety of reasons. First, fair is a relative term. If you want a split of the assets that is…
You have finally made it to the other side. The paperwork has been finalized, and now it is time to get all the assets and accounts divided so you can move on with your new life. But as money starts to get moved from account to account, there is a common concern about whether the…
Once all of the paperwork has been filed and approved by the court, you are officially moving on to your post-divorce life. Before too much time passes, be sure to address these steps to get you started on the right path. 1. Notify All Insurance Policies Be sure to review the beneficiaries on any policies…
You’re in that final stretch of your divorce; you can see the finish line ahead and have reached a settlement agreement with your spouse. Now your attorney or mediator turns to you and says, “You are going to need a QDRO and that will be an additional cost.” So, what is a QDRO and why…
One of the most common questions we get when talking to a prospective client about their divorce is, “What assets should I be advocating for?” The implication here is that not all accounts are created equally, and that is the truth. Equal and equitable are not the same thing when discussing an asset division. Here…
If your case is going the litigation route, you may want to consider having a Personal Financial Advocate on your team. As your advocate, we help you organize your information, provide projections so you understand the long-term implications of any settlement offer and provide your attorney with financial data so they may negotiate or litigate…
When you are getting organized for your case and starting to gather information, make sure that you collect all the documents below. This will be a good starting point and will be helpful for your legal counsel as well as your Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®. If you have trouble finding any of these documents, ask…
When we meet with someone who has questions about divorce, we typically discuss what we call the “three emotional phases of divorce”. The first phase is where you may be right now. It’s the feeling that there is a heavy weight on your shoulders that won’t go away. Even when you are doing something fun,…