Contemplating divorce can be one of the biggest life-time decisions you will ever make. Deciding how you get through the process can have a tremendous impact on how life after divorce will affect you emotionally and financially. The financial neutral is a key member of the collaborative team with the primary role of exploring and educating you and your spouse on various financial settlement outcomes by understanding the impact divorce will have to your financial future.
Divorce almost always doubles living expenses as two separate households are created, yet income rarely changes at least in the short run. The financial statistics post decree are alarming especially with the lower income earner or the stay-at-home parent who will have to re-enter the workforce. Working with the financial neutral, each spouse will create forward looking expense budgets that will help in identifying the needed income to meet essential living expenses. This information will then support a more comprehensive discussion on the level of spousal maintenance and employment income requirements to generate positive cash flow. The financial neutral will also be able to project your future retirement savings and net worth based on various financial settlement options which should facilitate constructive discussion around how marital property might be divided.
Working with a skilled and experienced financial neutral in the collaborative divorce team is a highly communicative, goals-based, and dignified resolution approach that tends to facilitate higher quality financial outcomes essential to healthier ex-spouse relationships with less negative impact to children.