What is a certified divorce financial analyst?

Divorce is fraught with many financial repercussions. Let us help guide you through the process. A CDFA® is someone who comes from a financial planning, accounting or legal background and goes through an intensive training program to become skilled in analyzing and providing expertise related to the financial issues of divorce.

The CDFA®:

  • 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.

The CDFA® also:

  • 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.