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How to Start Your Divorce Process
It’s important to do your homework and to understand the divorce process before you hire any divorce professional. Many of the professionals in the DPN directory offer free consultations so take advantage of that. Plus, in the resources tab, you’ll get a lot of information about starting the divorce process and which divorce professionals to hire for what purpose. Here are some descriptions of the various divorce professionals:
A DIVORCE ATTORNEY educates clients about the law in their state, advises clients how a judge would rule on their case, helps clients get financial information from their spouse, negotiates settlement and drafts any legal documents.
A DIVORCE COACH educates you about the divorce process, focuses on the future and how to achieve your goals, helps you manage other professionals you may need, helps you learn how to communicate with your spouse (or your ex) in an effective co-parenting relationship and helps you develop strategies to deal with a difficult/high conflict ex.
A DIVORCE FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL helps clients navigate the financial aspects of divorce such as creating a financial plan, evaluating assets and liabilities, creating budgets, identifying tax implications and crafting settlement offers. There are many different divorce financial professionals including a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP) and a forensic accountant.
A DIVORCE MEDIATOR is a neutral third party professional who helps a couple resolve their divorce without going to court. The mediator works with both parties to get to an agreement on everything having to do with the divorce including parenting and finances. A financial neutral helps couples mediate just the financial part of the divorce.
A THERAPIST or a mental health counselor focuses on your past and how you got to where you are now, helps you work through emotions such as grief and loss, and helps you manage mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
A CERTIFIED DIVORCE LENDING PROFESSIONAL is a trained individual who understands all aspects of divorce lending related to real estate and mortgages. They can assist clients in drafting their agreement so that they'll be more likely to get their mortgage approved. be approved.
A FORENSIC ACCOUNTANT helps clients find hidden money. These professionals use their accounting, auditing and investigative skills to examine financial records and uncover evidence of financial crimes or disputes. They can provide expert testimony in court to support their client’s cases.