| Specialized
Financial Planning for Divorce Clients
An important part of our mission
at FFA is providing specialized financial guidance for clients
experiencing or facing the prospect of divorce. The process
creates financial insecurity and tension that is best addressed
with a qualified financial planner supplementing, and often
reducing the cost of, legal representation.
Among the services provided to divorce clients
are the following:
| Identifying Resources
|
| • |
Assist in completing
the financial information affidavit required in all
cases |
| • |
Project the range of possible
future income and expenses |
| • |
Provide or arrange for pension
and business valuations |
| Cash Flow and
Net Worth Projections |
| • |
Establish
budgets and identify sources of cash to cover needed
expenditures |
| • |
Prepare charts
and exhibits showing the cash flow and net worth impact
of various support and property division alternatives |
Property
Division, Child Support, and Alimony Alternatives |
| • |
Examine
the trade-offs of options for property division, child
support, and alimony payments |
| • |
Review home ownership,
retention vs. sale, and mortgage financing choices |
| • |
Structure child
support and alimony payments to satisfy basic needs,
provide security, and achieve tax efficiency |
| • |
Suggest alternatives
for pensions, retirement plans, and health insurance
|
Litigation
and Alternatives |
| • |
Seek
equitable, efficient settlements with no or little
litigation through mediation or a collaborative law
approach |
| • |
Provide expert
testimony and financial exhibit preparation for court
hearings |
These and related aspects of FFA’s divorce-related services
are characterized by the following key features:
Professionalism and Creativity
The professionals of FFA—David
and Henry Barkhausen—offer an unusual combination of
financial planning, legal, and accounting experience with
specialized training in divorce-related issues. Using our
own computer models as well as three different commercial
software programs, we offer clear and compelling financial
projections for clients, attorneys, and judges. As a result,
we can usually reduce the time and expense otherwise required
to reach a fair and equitable financial settlement.
Empathy and Patience
Most of those who first seek
outside financial help are experiencing a change or transition.
Nowhere is that more true than with a divorce. The need to
pay for two households rather than one, to divide long-held
assets, and to alter or undertake career planning creates
natural anxiety. For us, that means listening patiently and
explaining clearly as well as offering steady, professional
guidance.
Independence and Objectivity
We have no affiliations or ties
with other firms, and we do not sell securities or life insurance.
That keeps us independent and objective and sitting on the
same side of the table as our clients. Our reputation is our
most important resource. We will work hard to keep and enhance
it.
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