What We Do
Pre-Divorce
You may be undecided about whether to stay in your marriage or leave. It is at this crucial time that while you’re considering how divorce will impact your life and your loved ones, you should also seek to become more educated and empowered financially to make that decision. It’s important to understand the state of your finances should you move forward toward legal separation or divorce.
There are numerous ways to prepare for the next chapter of your life that allows you to be in a good place, financially and emotionally.
How to Prepare Your Finances Before Filing for Divorce
Comprehensively record current expenses for the past year including those that happen infrequently (e.g. gifts, tuition, property taxes, vacations, large appliance purchases, insurance payments, etc.). Credit card companies provide year-end summaries that may help with this lookback.
Gather and copy all financial documentation related to income, investments, savings, retirement, taxes, savings, debt, insurance (auto, health, life, home), and mortgage
Gather property deeds and closing statements for real property
Try to save enough money to cover your living expenses and legal expenses for at least 6 months
Find life insurance policies, prenuptial and/or post-nuptial agreements
Gather any self-employed business records, employment contracts and bonus/partnership letters and agreements including RSU and stock option explanations
Women’s Divorce
It is my mission to help women feel empowered on financial matters of divorce and post-divorce through education. While financial planning needs post-divorce are not different from men, women face unique challenges. They may have different levels of knowledge, confidence, and levels of comfort around financials.
Compared to men, they typically:
live longer
have higher expenses (because of healthcare costs)
are more risk-averse in investing
start retirement with less money
The trend for mid-life and late-life divorce has more than doubled in the last decade. Because there is less time to recover from financial short-comings, women require more careful planning. I am passionate about listening to your needs and concerns and working with you to feel confident in understanding the financial planning process to achieve your goals and dreams, and mitigate your concerns and fears.
Divorce with a Special Needs Child
Special Needs Divorce planning is one of my specialties. Divorcing couples face unique challenges when it involves child with a disability. Planning for life-long care adds complexity to the situation beyond basic child support and financial planning. These complexities involve domains of living, learning, working and playing for a lifetime.
I can help you with financial considerations that protect government benefits while maximizing child support. This includes a comprehensive expense analysis, possible life care plan, and identifying and modeling current and future lifetime expenses for your child.
I’ll help you understand the financial intricacies of trusts and ABLE accounts and work with your estate attorney and family law attorney to initiate trusts that preserve benefits and protect assets.
I help you make decisions that minimize your tax burden and interface with your tax accountant to preserve more of your wealth for your disabled child.
Because I do not sell products or manage assets, my services are free of conflicts of interest, and I’m networked to referral sources for implementation of investment management as needed. It would be an honor to help you address your disabled child’s future financial well-being within your settlement agreement.
Check out my webinar on “Divorcing with a Special Needs Child”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lFVhG5WgUM&feature=youtu.be
Post-Divorce
Divorce enables a new start. I can help you initiate that journey on solid footing and be the cartographer mapping that journey.
In divorce, it is important to understand the financial impact on the goals you have for yourself, your children, your retirement and your legacy plans. This is best accomplished with modeling various scenarios of your settlement before and during negotiations or offers.
Focused as a Life Financial Planner, I ask the questions that help you personalize your Life/Wealth plan covering banking, healthcare, insurance, taxes, college expenses, investments, and estate planning. I can help you get the best life possible with the wealth that you have, aligned with your values and priorities. With an empirically proven “return on life” index, I help you find purpose and happiness with life-centered conversations and approach to financial planning.
I operate as a fiduciary, serving your interests first. My services are free of conflicts of interest because I have no intent to manage your assets or sell you any products. Simply stated, I am here to help you define your best financial future. Once defined, I can refer you to investment management professionals to implement a life-centered financial plan and gain the CalmfinanceSM you need to enjoy life post-divorce.
“Though nobody can go back and make a new beginning…anyone can start over and make a new ending.”