The Intentional Divorce Library

Divorce comes with more financial questions than anyone expects. This is where you'll find real answers on asset division, budgeting, retirement, and the mistakes that quietly cost women the most, written by a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst who has helped clients navigate exactly what you're facing now.

No fluff, no fear tactics. Just the information you need to make clear-eyed decisions and protect the life you're building next.

Not sure where to start?

Every article here is written for a particular moment. Start with the stage that matches where you are, and you will find the handful of pieces that actually apply to you.

Browsing by topic instead? Every category is listed in the sidebar, from QDROs and the family home to co-parenting and life after divorce.

How to Choose the Right Divorce Mediator for Your Ohio Divorce co-parenting mediation ohio divorce ohio divorce mediation

Ohio does not license divorce mediators, so credentials vary widely and anyone may use the title. What to look for instead: specific divorce mediation experience rather than general dispute resolution, completion of the 40-hour specialized family mediation training the Supreme Court of Ohio certifie...

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Can I Afford to Get Divorced? What Women Need to Know Before Making a Decision alimony/spousal support asset division certified divorce financial analyst considering divorce divorce financial planning financial planning house in a divorce ohio divorce preparing for divorce retirement accounts in divorce

One of the most common questions I hear from women sitting across from me is some version of: "Can I actually afford to do this?"

They are not asking because they want to stay in a painful marriage. They are asking because they are terrified of the financial unknown. They have heard horror stories. ...

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Rebuilding Financial Confidence After Divorce: Your Path to Financial Independence budgeting financial coaching financial planning life after divorce ohio divorce

Divorce does not just divide assets. It can shatter your sense of financial security and leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about money. Whether you were the money person in your marriage or left financial decisions to your spouse, the emotional and logistical upheaval of starting...

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Divorce After 50: Protecting Your Retirement in a Gray Divorce alimony/spousal support asset division certified divorce financial analyst divorce after 50 financial planning gray divorce life after divorce ohio divorce pension in divorce preparing for divorce retirement accounts in divorce

Divorce at any age is hard. But when you are over 50, the financial stakes are different.

You do not have 20 years to rebuild. The decisions you make about your retirement accounts, your home, your Social Security, and your settlement are decisions you will live with for the rest of your life. That

...
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Why a Divorce Support Group Isn’t Enough: Find Community, Expert Guidance, and Financial Empowerment divorce coach divorce support groups life after divorce ohio divorce

If you’re searching for a divorce support group, I get it. You’re looking for people who understand what you’re going through. The sleepless nights. The financial overwhelm. The grief that hits you out of nowhere in the middle of a random Tuesday.

You’re not wrong for wanting that. In fact, reachin...

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Financial Divorce Advisor: Understanding the Role of a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) in Navigating Your Divorce Journey certified divorce financial analyst dividing assets in a divorce divorce financial planning ohio divorce property division in divorce separate property

Going through a divorce is not just emotionally taxing, but it also brings a host of financial complexities that can have a profound impact on your future. Many individuals, while recognizing the need for legal advice during divorce, often overlook the critical role of a Certified Divorce Financial ...

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How to Protect Yourself Financially When Divorcing a Narcissist asset division certified divorce financial analyst co-parenting divorce coach divorce financial planning financial abuse kids and divorce life after divorce ohio divorce preparing for divorce

If you are divorcing a narcissist, you already know that this is not a normal divorce.

Normal divorce is hard. Divorcing a narcissist is something else entirely. The manipulation, the gaslighting, the hidden assets, the refusal to settle reasonably, the way they can make you question your own memory...

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Divorce After 50: Challenges and Survival Tips for a Gray Divorce alimony/spousal support certified divorce financial analyst divorce after 50 divorce coach divorce financial planning gray divorce life after divorce ohio divorce preparing for divorce

Divorce after 50 is not just a legal and financial event. It is a life earthquake.

You are dismantling a life you built over decades. Your social circle may split. Your identity as part of a couple changes overnight. The future you planned together suddenly needs to be rebuilt from scratch — on you...

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After Divorce Checklist: The Essential Steps to Take Once Your Divorce Is Final budgeting certified divorce financial analyst financial planning health insurance life after divorce life insurance ohio divorce preparing for divorce qdro retirement accounts in divorce taxes

Your divorce is final. You made it through.

Now comes the part nobody warned you about — the long list of practical things that need to happen before your new life actually starts. Accounts to close. Documents to update. Insurance to sort out. A budget that reflects your real life now, not the one y...

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Common Divorce Myths That Could Cost You Money (And What's Actually True) certified divorce financial analyst considering divorce divorce financial planning divorce mediation ohio divorce preparing for divorce

When you are going through a divorce, you hear a lot of things. From well-meaning friends who went through their own messy split five years ago, from that one aunt who knows somebody who knows somebody, from late-night Google rabbit holes that send you spiraling.

The problem is that when the same th...

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Divorce Mediation: The Complete Checklist of Documents, Financial Prep, and What to Expect asset division certified divorce financial analyst dividing assets in a divorce divorce financial planning divorce mediation mediation ohio divorce ohio divorce mediation preparing for divorce property division in divorce

Bring three years of tax returns, recent pay stubs, and current statements for every bank, investment, retirement, and loan account, plus mortgage statements, insurance and annuity policies, Social Security estimates, and profit and loss statements for any business. Organise them in one place before...

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Hidden Assets in Divorce: How to Spot Them and Protect Your Financial Future asset division certified divorce financial analyst divorce financial planning financial infidelity hidden assets divorce ohio divorce preparing for divorce

One of the questions I hear most often is:

“How do I know if my spouse is hiding money?”

Sometimes that question comes with a very specific concern.

Maybe a bonus suddenly disappeared. Maybe a business is involved. Maybe bank statements have become harder to access. Maybe your spouse’s lifestyle ...

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