Broker Check

CDFA

Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® 

BROCHURE

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Role of A CDFA®

Since 2015 Diane has been a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® professional and assists clients, couples and their attorneys to better understand the financial complexities surrounding divorce and to forecast the long-term effects of alternative settlement proposals. The role of a CDFA® is to assist the client and his/her lawyer to understand how the financial decisions he/she makes today will impact the client’s financial future.

Questions that a Divorcing Couple May Have:

  • Where will the children live?
  • Who will pay for their education and medical treatment?
  • How do we value our property?
  • Who gets what property?
  • What tax issues must we be concerned with?
  • How do we divide retirement funds and pensions?
  • How will the lower-earning spouse survive financially?
  • What additional financial support does that person need?
  • Who gets the house?
  • What happens if a paying ex-spouse dies?

Responsibilities of a CDFA®

As a CDFA®, Diane is someone who comes from a financial planning background and completed an intensive training program to become skilled in analyzing and providing expertise related to the financial issues of divorce. As a CDFA® she:

  • Becomes part of the divorce team, providing litigation support for the lawyer and client, or becomes a member of a Collaborative Law team. In either event, the CDFA® will be responsible for:
    • Identifying the short-term and long-term effects of dividing property.
    • Integrating tax issues.
    • Analyzing pension and retirement plan issues.
    • Determining if the client can afford the matrimonial home – and if not, what might be an affordable alternative.
    • Evaluating the client’s insurance needs.
    • Establishing assumptions for projecting inflation and rates of return.
    • Bringing an innovative and creative approach to settling cases.
  • Provides the client and lawyer with data that shows the financial effect of any given divorce settlement.
  • Appears as an expert witness if the case should go to court, or in mediation or arbitration proceedings.
  • Is familiar with tax issues that apply to divorce.
  • Has background knowledge of the legal issues in divorce.
  • Is trained to interview clients so as to:
    • Collect financial and expense data.
    • Help client’s identify their future financial goals.
    • Develop a budget.
    • Set retirement objectives.
    • Determine how much risk they are willing to take with their investments.
    • Identify what kind of life style they want.
    • Determine the costs of their children’s education.