What is a divorce financial analyst?  A divorce financial analyst is a professional trained to analyze financial issues in divorce.  Divorce financial analysts can be certified like certified public accountants.  They are also called forensic accountants.

A divorce financial analyst will help you better understand such financial issues as:

• What constitutes marital property;
• How to put a value on marital property and divide it;
• How retirement accounts and pension funds are divided;
• Whether you should keep your house, sell your house or refinance your house and hold onto it as investment property;
• Whether a spouse should receive alimony, how much they should receive, and how to get the most from any alimony received;
• You will learn the tax implications of any decisions you make during the negotiation process;
• They will help you set up a budget that will help ease you into single life with a single income;
• You will know the long-term implications of your divorce settlement before you sign it;
• You will have someone who can give you an in-depth financial analysis and be available to support your case should you go to divorce court.

You should consider retaining the services of a divorce financial analyst when there are large marital assets or a business to value.  If your pending divorce is amicable, you and your spouse could share this expense.  The financial analyst could also help in shaping a negotiated settlement agreement that would meet your short and long-term goals.

A divorce financial analyst can also help shorten the divorce process.  Most lawyers are not trained in evaluating businesses, pension plans, or real estate.  There may be tax benefits to paying alimony that you and your lawyer may not know.  The divorce financial analyst gives you a clearer picture of how the divorce will affect you financially, so that when negotiating the divorce you operate from a position of strength.  Ask you divorce attorney to recommend a divorce financial analyst.