What is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst?
How a CDFA can provide financial clarity for parents and legal professionals in a divorce.
Going through a divorce can be a complicated process, especially when it comes to dividing finances. From figuring out what assets should be split to identifying the best outcome for your kids, there are lots of items to consider when separating assets to create the best long-term outcome. In cases like this, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) can help.
A CDFA is a third-party professional who helps you understand and plan your current and future finances during a divorce. CDFAs support clients and their attorneys, mediators, or other family law professionals to advocate for the financial aspects of a settlement. Keep reading to learn about the benefits of working with a CDFA during a divorce.
What does a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst do?
A CDFA assesses every aspect of your finances to help you plan for the future within the context of your divorce. They collect and examine your financial information to calculate your short-term and long-term needs and goals. If you’re going through a collaborative or mediated divorce, your CDFA can also work as a neutral third party with you and your co-parent.
CDFAs earn and maintain certifications from the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA) to ensure they have extensive knowledge to support their clients. Additionally, they must have prior education or experience in financial planning or family law. While a CDFA can hold other professional certifications, they typically serve in one role per case to avoid potential confusion or conflicts of interest.
According to the IDFA, a CDFA must be educated and well-versed in areas such as:
- Divorce law and terminology
- Property and taxation
- Retirement plans and taxation
- Social Security and government benefits
- Alimony and child support taxation
- Financial analysis and planning
- Insurance and risk management
- Employee benefits
- Debt, credit, and bankruptcy
- Specialty areas like disabilities and late-life divorce
Ultimately, CDFAs strive to identify divorce entitlements and ensure financial outcomes that are fair and sustainable for co-parents and their children. By assessing your immediate and future needs and circumstances, a CDFA helps you prepare for economic changes and goals directly following and long after your divorce is finalized.
Are all financial experts CDFAs?
There are different types of financial experts you can partner with during your divorce, and they all have varying specialties and mindsets. For example, financial planners and consultants help you achieve your goals on various timelines and are more focused on the future. Accountants can help you by identifying and assessing your current financial situation.
Ultimately, CDFAs set themselves apart from other financial professionals because of their unique expertise and approach. CDFAs earn a specific certification that designates their thorough understanding of divorce-related finances. They identify the different economic aspects of a divorce and how certain decisions affect parents and their kids.
Additionally, their perspective has a combined focus on current concerns and future projections. Other financial experts either focus on financial health in the current year or in 30 years. CDFAs connect the two by assessing how assets like retirement funds and other long-term assets are immediately and eventually affected when divided.
Can a CDFA replace a lawyer or mediator?
While a CDFA has knowledge related to family law matters, they cannot replace a lawyer or mediator in a divorce case. The IDFA strictly states that CDFAs cannot provide legal advice, and they should recommend or require clients to retain legal counsel. A CDFA must work alongside an experienced mediator or family law attorney to provide effective support.
What are the benefits of working with a CDFA?
Whether you’re preparing to go through a high-asset divorce or a more manageable separation, adding a CDFA to your team of divorce professionals can be extremely helpful. Overall, your CDFA will help you better understand your current situation and plan for a more stable future. Here are 5 benefits you can expect to gain by partnering with a CDFA.
1. Get a clear picture of your situation
When you work with a CDFA, no stone is left unturned when identifying individual and shared assets. They know exactly what questions to ask and which reports to request in order to develop a comprehensive summary of your current finances and potential outcomes. A CDFA’s assistance is especially beneficial in helping you prepare a financial affidavit, which is often a required document in a divorce settlement.
2. Rely on an expert in divorce finances
While many financial advisors have fundamental accounting skills, divorce finances require a distinct expertise. Taxes, retirement accounts, and spousal or child support each come with rules and consequences that other experts cannot or will not address. A CDFA is specifically trained in these areas, so they can anticipate potential challenges and enable the family law experts involved to focus on the legal aspects of your divorce.
3. Prioritize a fair division of assets
Splitting property and other investments is one of the most complicated parts of a divorce, even if you don’t have many to divide in the first place. A CDFA works to make sure the division is fair and practical for everyone involved, particularly if they work with both you and your ex. They consider how each option will play out in the long run, helping you and your co-parent reach an agreement that’s equitable and sustainable.
4. Understand support calculations
Alimony and child support payments can be difficult to determine, and the process can create tension without the right understanding. A CDFA can explain what calculations your state uses and how different arrangements lead to varying impacts on your budget now and later. Above all, working with a CDFA ensures that you prioritize your children’s needs without compromising financial stability in your household or your co-parent’s.
5. Reduce or avoid confusion and conflict
Financial discussions can be stressful or emotional, but they often reach higher levels of friction with the added pressure of a divorce. A CDFA’s knowledge and guidance helps by adding clarity to the situation and reducing misunderstandings for parents, lawyers, and other involved parties. With a CDFA on your team, you and your ex can create a better future for yourselves and your kids without as much arguing or confusion.
Keep co-parenting expenses in order with TalkingParents
While your CDFA can help you financially prepare for co-parenting, managing costs and communication with your ex is up to you once your divorce is finalized. Keeping a detailed record of shared expenses is helpful for your own knowledge, and it’s vital if you deal with missed child support payments or other inconsistencies along the way. It’s an essential yet challenging process, but you don’t have to do it alone.
If you want to take the hassle out of keeping every aspect of your co-parenting situation organized, TalkingParents is here to help. Our features equip you and your ex with the tools needed to send messages, manage payments, and more within one app. Combined with flexible plans and comprehensive parenting resources, you have a support network of tools that can help you navigate co-parenting with peace of mind.