Request a Divorce Financial Consultation

What does the first conversation cover?

The first call is a scoping discussion. It covers where your case stands, what the marital estate is made of, and which decision is coming up: a settlement offer to answer, a mediation session to prepare for, or a proposal from your spouse’s side that you do not yet understand. The question it answers is narrow: would a financial analysis change what you are about to decide?

• Whether a divorce has been filed, and in which state
• Whether you have an attorney, and whether you are in mediation, collaborative divorce, or litigation
• The broad shape of the estate: retirement accounts, pensions, a business, equity compensation, real estate, separate property claims
• Whether spousal support is under discussion, and how it interacts with the property split
• Any deadline you already know about

Where a marriage involves two salaries, a joint account, and a house with a conventional mortgage, the division is often clear without modelling. Being told that on the first call is a common and reasonable outcome.

Who is a divorce financial consultation a good fit for?

The analysis tends to matter most when the numbers on a settlement sheet do not tell you what each side actually receives. Typical situations:

• An estate split between pre-tax retirement accounts, Roth accounts, and taxable investments, where equal balances can mean unequal after-tax value
• A pension or 401(k) that will be divided by court order; see dividing retirement accounts in divorce
• A closely held business, professional practice, or equity compensation with vesting schedules
• Separate property mixed into joint accounts over a long marriage
• A mediated agreement you want checked before you sign; see how divorce mediation works

When it is not the right first call

• If you need legal advice or representation, start with a licensed family law attorney in your state. Financial analysis supports your attorney’s work; it does not replace it.
• If you are facing a court deadline in the next few days, contact your attorney first.
• If you are concerned about your safety, contact local emergency services or a domestic violence program before anything else.

What should you bring?

None of this is required to make contact. It simply makes the first conversation more useful. Have the documents near you during the call; do not send them through the form.

• Your most recent federal tax return, with schedules
• Current statements for bank, brokerage, and retirement accounts (401(k), 403(b), IRA, Roth)
• Pension benefit statements, if either spouse has a pension
• A recent mortgage statement and any other loan balances
• Pay stubs, and bonus or equity grant summaries if they apply
• Any settlement proposal, mediator’s summary, or draft agreement currently on the table
• A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, if there is one

If the estate includes a business, its recent financial statements are helpful. If you are not sure what you have, say so; working out what is missing is part of the conversation.

What happens after you submit the form?

1. A reply to arrange a timeYour request is read and answered to set up a call at a time that suits you.
2. The scoping callA conversation about the points above. You can ask anything about how the analysis works and how it fits alongside your attorney.
3. A plain answerEither a financial analysis would likely change a decision you face, or it would not. If it would not, you will be told so directly.
4. Your decision, in your own timeWhoever you work with, ask for the scope of the engagement and how it is billed in writing before any work begins. There is no pressure to decide on the call.

The services page and the divorce financial advisor overview describe what an analysis covers. For a sense of the wider costs of a divorce, see how much a divorce costs.

How is your information handled?

The conversation is confidential. Even so, the contact form is not a secure channel for sensitive records. Please describe your situation in general terms and leave out:

• Social Security numbers, account numbers, and passwords
• Full statements, tax returns, or other documents
• Anything your attorney has told you in confidence, or anything you would not want read by someone else
• Anything time sensitive

Contacting this office, by form or otherwise, does not create an attorney-client relationship or an advisory relationship, and it is not a request for legal, tax, or investment advice. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, or investment advice; it is provided for educational purposes. Results depend on the facts of each case and the law of your state.

Checking any professional you consider

Whoever you speak with, it is reasonable to check their background. FINRA BrokerCheck shows whether a person or firm is registered to sell securities, offer investment advice, or both, along with employment history, regulatory actions, and complaints. Source: FINRA BrokerCheck. The SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure site lets you view the Form ADV an investment adviser files, which includes disclosure of certain disciplinary events. Source: SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure. If you are comparing divorce financial specialists, the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, which awards the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® designation, offers a search for professionals who hold it. Source: Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts.

Common questions