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.
- I am considering divorce. Can I afford it, what happens to the house, what should I know before talking to an attorney.
- I am preparing for divorce. Documents, credit, insurance, retirement accounts, and choosing your professional team.
- I am going through divorce. The house, support, dividing retirement, QDROs, taxes, and evaluating a settlement.
- My divorce is final. Retitling assets, confirming the QDRO, beneficiaries, rebuilding cash flow and credit.
Browsing by topic instead? Every category is listed in the sidebar, from QDROs and the family home to co-parenting and life after divorce.
Dividing assets during a divorce is rarely straightforward, especially when it comes to retirement accounts. From pensions and 401(k)s to IRAs and Roth accounts, each type of retirement asset comes with its own set of rules, tax implications, and liquidity concerns. Add in considerations like Qualif...
Editor's note: The mortgage lending guidance in this post reflects the expertise of a Certified Divorce Lending Specialist and covers principles that hold true regardless of market conditions. Specific figures such as interest rates and home values shift over time. Always confirm current qualificati...
Are you worried about splitting assets in a divorce?
Worrying over financial decisions is normal on an average day, but when going through a divorce, it can be paralyzing. Unfortunately, the fear around these issues is completely warranted. You only have one chance to get it right, and your divorce ...
Dividing pensions in a divorce can be confusing. For starters, some clients that I see are often confused (even after negotiating their divorce settlement) regarding what type of retirement account(s) they have. In this blog, I am referring specifically to defined benefit plans. Defined benefit plan...
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...
It's common for clients to enter my office with misconceptions regarding separate property in a divorce and how assets should be divided. This confusion often arises from reading online articles without verifying the source. Remember, laws regarding separate property during a divorce can differ grea...
"Who gets the house?" is one of the first questions that comes up when couples start talking about divorce. In my more than 20 years as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, I have heard it thousands of times, and the honest answer is always the same: it depends.
The family home is not like other a...
Dealing with a divorce is stressful enough. Add complicated financial decisions to the mix and it can feel completely overwhelming.
That is where a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst comes in.
If you have been wondering what a CDFA actually does, whether you need one, and how they are different fro...
By the time someone asks me about a QDRO, they are usually already overwhelmed.
They are trying to understand attorneys, financial disclosures, settlement options, retirement accounts, taxes, and all kinds of paperwork they never expected to be dealing with.
So when the term QDRO comes up, the respo...
Are you losing thousands of dollars due to the financial fears that arise during the process of dissolution or divorce? The cost of the divorce itself is undeniably one of the biggest concerns clients express. There is no question about it. The duration and expenses involved in divorce proceedings u...