Managing your finances is never simple, but a divorce can make it far more complex. While the emotional impact can be great, the financial impact can be equally as devastating. It’s important you find a financial partner that provides clear-headed and independent guidance when making difficult decisions. Your Law & Associates team and our Certified Divorce Financial Analysts (CDFA^®) will work with you to help take the stress out of the process and to encourage you along the way to look forward to the next chapter in your life.

The Role of the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA^®)

Law & Associates’ Advisor Crystal Alford-Cooper, CFP^®,CDFA^®,CRC^®, will work in partnership with your attorney and help you analyze and understand how financial decisions made during the divorce or mediation process will impact your financial future. In concert with your legal advisors, we are able to provide support to litigators as well as become part of a Collaborative Divorce Team. Together, we’ll also help you navigate the following:

• Gathering of financial data, including balance sheet, cash flow and tax information
• Assisting in the identification of financial goals
• Developing a budget
• Establishing retirement goals
• Identifying and setting realistic lifestyle expectations

Using agreed upon assumptions, we will prepare scenarios which will help you make decisions on the following:

• Identifying long and short-term effects of property division alternatives
• Integrating tax issues
• Analyzing pension and retirement plan matters
• Reviewing the feasibility of remaining in the matrimonial home and evaluating options
• Assessing insurance needs
• Determining children’s future educational expense

This collaborative process can be of great value. Our goal is to assist you and other members of your team identify the path most beneficial to you. A new path towards “life still ahead.”