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.

What’s the Difference Between a CDFA and a Traditional Financial Advisor? alimony/spousal support certified divorce financial analyst dividing assets in a divorce financial planning house in a divorce life after divorce preparing for divorce qdro retirement accounts in divorce taxes

Divorce is one of the most financially significant events of your life. Every decision from how you divide retirement accounts to whether you keep the house can shape your financial security for decades. One of the most common questions I hear from women going through this transition is: “Do I need ...

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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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Can You Keep Your Whole Pension in a Divorce? dividing assets in a divorce going through divorce pension in divorce property division in divorce qdro retirement accounts in divorce

It may or may not come as a surprise to you that a pension is frequently the largest asset negotiated in a divorce. With that said, it's not a foregone conclusion that you'll have to give up a portion of your pension as part of your divorce settlement. I'm surprised by the number of cases I see in w...

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You Were Awarded Part of His Retirement. Here's How to Actually Get It. going through divorce life after divorce pension in divorce qdro retirement accounts in divorce

If you're recently divorced and not sure what to do with your ex's retirement account, you're not alone. This is one of the most common questions I hear, and it doesn't go away just because the divorce is final. I regularly talk to people who've been divorced for over a year and still haven't moved ...

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Dividing Pensions in a Divorce: Shared vs. Separate Interest dividing assets in a divorce going through divorce pension in divorce property division in divorce qdro retirement accounts in 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...

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Ohio Teacher Divorce: 4 STRS Pension Tips You Need to Know divorce financial planning going through divorce ohio divorce pension in divorce qdro retirement accounts in divorce

 

If you are a teacher going through a divorce in Ohio, this one is for you.

Teachers hold a special place in my heart. Early in my career, I was a teacher. I earned my Master's in Education and have made quite a few teacher friends over the years. My children have been blessed with wonderful teache...

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How to Divide a 401(k) in a Divorce 401k in divorce asset division certified divorce financial analyst going through divorce qdro retirement accounts in divorce

Divorce is one of the hardest transitions you will go through, and in the middle of all that emotional weight, you are also being asked to make financial decisions that will follow you for decades. That is a lot to carry at once.

If your marriage involved a 401k, whether it is yours or your spouse's...

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What Is a QDRO? A Divorce Financial Guide to Understanding and Obtaining a Qualified Domestic Relations Order certified divorce financial analyst going through divorce property division in divorce qdro retirement accounts in divorce

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...

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How Is a Pension Valued in a Divorce? certified divorce financial analyst dividing assets in a divorce going through divorce pension in divorce property division in divorce qdro retirement accounts in divorce

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...

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