CDFA® Professionals can help to create financial settlements that work – both now and in the future

All assets are not created equal: which "half" of the marital property your client receives makes all the difference!

Can your client afford to accept the proposed settlement?

Would you stake your reputation on it?

A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) professional can help you and your client address the financial issues of divorce with reports that can help achieve settlements that work today – and in the future.

A CDFA® professional can:

• Complete the detailed financial work for you, making case preparation and settlement easier
• Provide in-depth analysis of the short- and long-term financial effects of a proposed settlement
• Work as a consultant or expert witness

About CDFA Professionals

A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) professional has:

• Graduated from the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts™
• Extensive financial expertise in the fields of financial services, accounting, or law
• Received specialized training in the financial issues of divorce
• Fulfilled continuing education requirements

Founded in 1993, the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts™ (IDFA™) is the most established and recognized designation in financial planning for divorce. In order to become a CDFA professional, a candidate must successfully complete a series of exams based on a self-study course offered by the Institute, be in good standing with his or her firm or broker/dealer and any governmental regulatory agencies, and complete 20 hours of continuing education courses every two years.

How can a CDFA Professional help a Family Law Lawyer?

CDFA professionals help lawyers and their divorcing clients address the special financial issues of divorce with data that can help achieve equitable settlements. A CDFA pro is trained to:

• Produce powerful case exhibits in the form of spreadsheets and graphs
• Give lawyers professional support to make sure they've covered all the financial “bases”
• Provide litigation support to divorce lawyers
• Serve as a financial expert on divorce cases
• Analyze the financial implications of different divorce settlement proposals
• Create a rock-solid personal financial analysis for the client
• Make sure the client understands the short-term and long-term financial impact of different settlement proposals

A CDFA pro can help the client understand:

• Separate vs. Marital property
• Valuing and dividing property
• Debt, credit, and bankruptcy
• Retirement and pensions
• Spousal and child support
• Options for the Matrimonial Home
• Tax problems and solutions

A CDFA professional can help lawyers achieve the fairest, most financially equitable divorce settlement possible for their clients.

The Experts Talk about CDFA Professionals

“However the divorce [financial analyst] enters the process, the participation of a financial specialist can benefit both clients and lawyers, according to Sandra Morris [former president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers]. While the [CDFA] wades through the financial morass of a divorce, the attorney is freed up to focus on legal issues.”

– Lawyers Weekly

“The professions of divorce financial analysis and matrimonial law have a long, prosperous future together. The skilled CDFA brings rationality to an irrational situation.”

– Frederic J. Seigel, Esq.
Partner, Fitzmaurice & Seigel, CT

“CDFAs can provide invaluable information that allows the court to arrive at a fair, equitable, and just resolution – not just at the moment of trial, but down the road as well.”

– Honorable Kathleen M. McCarthy, JD
Family Court Division Judge, MI

“[CDFAs] watch out for tax snafus, help clients obtain health insurance after a split, and demystify tough-to-value private-equity or hedge-fund investments.”

– The Wall Street Journal

“Family law clients need all the help they can get. A good lawyer working with a CDFA can make even the most difficult cases move forward in a cost-efficient and effective way. Good team-work between a lawyer and CDFA always pays dividends for clients.”

– Michael G. Cochrane, LL.B.
Partner, Ricketts, Harris LLP, ON
Author, Surviving Your Divorce: A Guide to Canadian Family Law