If you are newly divorced, you've just spent a boatload of money on experts, namely lawyers. You may, in fact, be all "experted" out.
But the period just after your divorce can be a critical time.
But the period just after your divorce can be a critical time.You need to implement your Divorce Decree and rebuild your financial life, and you may have a large settlement to administer.
There's nothing explicitly wrong with going it alone.
In fact some folks are better off going DIY. But failing to work with an expert could lead to mistakes, and those mistakes can be costly.
Before you can decide if you want to work with an expert, you need to know what kind of experts are out there.
The Experts
There are plenty of professionals out there willing to help you with your money and post-divorce life. Some are very well suited to help, while others are less so. Let's meet them.
Financial Advisor
A Financial Advisor is usually someone who has a Series 7 and Series 66 license, works for a brokerage firm or Registered Investment Advisor, and can help you buy and sell securities. A Financial Advisor may have special training in financial planning, wealth management, tax, or other financial areas.
If most of your questions are around how to invest settlement proceeds, a Financial Advisor may be a good fit.
If you already have a relationship with a Financial Advisor whom you like, you should probably keep working with them. You already know and trust them, and they already know you.
Just make sure they can assist you in the way you need. Can they answer your questions? Do you feel confident that your investments serve your needs? If you need help implementing your decree, can they help you? If not, you may need to seek more specialized help.
Financial Planner
A Financial Planner is often a Financial Advisor who has gotten specialized training in Financial Planning through the CFP Board. These folks are CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professionals.
If most of your concerns are focused on planning questions like, "Can I retire on time?", "Can I afford to keep the house?", or "Can I afford to send my kids to college?", then a Financial Planner may be the best fit for you.
A note of caution, though: A garden-variety Financial Planner may or may not have the right set of skills to help you navigate planning issues unique to individuals emerging from divorce. If you're considering hiring a Financial Planner and they don't have experience with divorce, you may want to look at alternatives before committing.
Financial Coach
Maybe your concerns are more around getting yourself back on your feet after an ugly, expensive divorce.
If you are dealing with budget problems, large piles of debt, or just running the household finances for the first time, a Financial Coach could be an excellent resource.
Think of a Financial Coach as a fitness trainer for your finances. Such an expert can help you learn the fundamentals of household finances; understand how to budget, save, and pay down debt; and help you design your day-to-day financial life.
As with other professionals, if you're considering hiring a Financial Coach and they don't have experience with divorce, you may want to seek out a coach who specializes in divorce.
Divorce Financial Advisor
A Divorce Financial Advisor is often a Financial Advisor who has gotten specialized training in Divorce Financial Planning through the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. These folks are Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ Professionals.
A Divorce Financial Advisor who is also cross trained as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional could be an ideal fit. This type of professional will have the investing skills, planning skills, and divorce expertise needed to help guide you through the critical months following your divorce.
It's also likely that they've helped lots of other people just like you, and thus can help you anticipate problems before they come up, solve problems when they do come up, uncover resources you didn't know you needed, and deal with the inevitable emotions that can arise during this tricky period.
Divorce is a process that requires unique skills. You wouldn't hire a generalist attorney to help you get divorced…so why would you hire a generalist financial expert to help you after your divorce?
Over the years, I've helped many men and women navigate the post-divorce period.
While I can't say that I've seen it all, I've seen a lot of it.
Click the button below to set up your free one-hour consultation. I would love to help you emerge from your divorce both confident and financially fit.
RB2022-0330