Certified Divorce Financial Planner (CDFA® Experts)

A divorce financial planner, most often credentialed as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®), focuses specifically on the financial side of your divorce: valuing and dividing assets, modeling settlement scenarios, and identifying the tax impact of different outcomes. Unlike a general financial planner, a CDFA® works alongside your attorney during the divorce itself, not just on long-term investment strategy afterward.

You likely benefit from one if your divorce involves retirement accounts, a pension, a business, more than one property, equity compensation, or a spouse who managed most of the money. A planner shows what each settlement option is worth after tax and whether your budget works afterward. With few assets and simple finances, your attorney may be enough.

Fees depend on the scope of your case: the number of assets, whether a business valuation is needed, and where you are in the process. Some engagements are a flat project fee and others are hourly. When you schedule a consultation, Jay Mota reviews your situation and explains which fee structure applies before any work begins.

As early as possible, ideally before financial disclosures are exchanged or a settlement is negotiated. Early involvement leaves time to gather two to three years of statements, build an accurate budget, and test settlement options before positions harden. A planner can still step in at any stage, including after the divorce is final.

Your attorney handles the law: your rights, filings, negotiation strategy, and the language of the agreement. A divorce financial planner handles the numbers: what each asset is worth after tax, whether your budget works after divorce, and how each settlement option plays out over time. The two work as a team, and neither replaces the other.

Most planning starts with recent tax returns, two to three years of bank and credit card statements, current pay stubs, retirement and investment statements, mortgage and loan statements, and any business records. After you schedule a consultation, we send a detailed list for your situation so you only gather what will actually be used.

Cash flow analysis compares what you actually spend with the income you will have after the divorce. It is built from two to three years of statements, not estimates, because most people underestimate spending. The result shows whether a settlement, such as keeping the house, is affordable and what you need from the agreement.

Every situation is different. Some folks need just a few sessions, others benefit from ongoing support throughout their divorce. We'll map out a timeline that works for your specific situation.  

Absolutely. In fact, mediators often appreciate when clients come prepared with solid financial analysis. It makes their job easier and your mediation more productive.

Yes. After the divorce, a planner can help you carry out the settlement, such as completing retirement division orders, adjusting your budget to your new income, and updating your long-term plan. Divorce Logic offers post-divorce financial planning for clients whose divorce is already final, whether or not we worked on the settlement.

If needed, yes. Our team has the credentials and experience to serve as expert witnesses on financial matters in divorce proceedings.