BagLady Divorce with Deana Brown: When a Smooth Divorce Gets Messy

I am participating in a collaborative divorce process and the team consists of two attorneys, a financial neutral, and a mental health neutral, along with the husband and wife; I'm participating as the notetaker. In our most recent session, the wife was ready to end it all, because she did not understand what exactly was being offered. She needed an outsider to explain the deal to her and answer some important questions, including:

1. What kind of assets do we have?

2. What is marital and non-marital?

3. Is the deal a fair deal?

4. Is the deal something she can live with?

Divorce financial planning involves looking not just at the present but also the future. She needed a financial ally on her side give her answers and reassurance that the financial neutral may not have been able to provide. The team decided to connect her with a financial professional to move this process forward and ultimately come to a settlement agreement. The moral of the story is no one expects you to be an expert in finances. Don't feel pressured to take a deal you're not comfortable with without finding a financial ally, like me!