When I work with clients going through a divorce, my first response isn’t “I'm sorry”—instead, it’s “Okay, let’s get organized.” 

Divorce isn’t just emotional—it’s financial. If we don't help clients plan early, they risk making decisions based on anger or fear instead of facts. Here’s how I guide the conversation.

What I'm Telling My Clients

I begin by advising 🤪my clients to stop thinking about money as “his” and “hers” and startꦿ thinking in three buckets:

1. Income potential: Who earns wha🥂t, and how long have they🦩 been married? 

2. Separate vs. Marital Property: What’s premarital vs. whatﷺ did the coupꦆle build together?

3. Legacy for the Kids/Family: What will be passed on? (This is a big one–legacy matters, even when the couple is splitting).

Real World Scenarios

You may have already thought about these questions or not at all. For example, one woman I worked with had been married for 18 years, had three kids, and managed the home while her husband built a business. She didn’t even know what was in their investment accounts when prompted to consider these three buckets.

So, we started simple—listing what they each owned before marriage, what they owned now, and what had grown during the marriage. She was shocked to see how much of the business’s growth happened while they were married (yes, that’s considered 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:marital property). A 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:forensic accountant c🌟onfirmed the numbers, which gave her leverage during mediatꦺion.

In another case,  a couple wanted to keep it peaceful for their teen daughters. They sat down with me and we did a “decoupling draft.” We reviewed their accounts, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:retirement plans, and the family condo. It wasn’t alwa🥂ys easy, but 🌌because we approached it like a financial puzzle, not a war, they walked out with a fair split and didn’t spend a fortune on legal fees.

Choosing the Right Team

The right team makes a huge difference. I always recommend a neutral CFP (someone like me who can also be a CDFA), plus a family mediator or an attorney, depending on 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:how things are going.

You need professionals who know what they’re doing and can collaborate with eac🍒h other, so𝔉 make sure to choose wisely.

The Bottom Line

Divorce is never easy for clients, but it doesn’t have to be a disaster. By implementing the right financial framework, considering the critical buckets, and building the right team, making decisions that benefit clients and alleviate the stress accompanying these difficult times is possible.