Last week, I flew to Washington DC for the weekend in order to attend a book launch and after-party for author Tracy Schorn at the National Press Club. Not only does Tracy write the daily blog chumplady.com, with over 10 million views, but her new book Leave a...

Last month, an attorney/mediator found me by doing a search that led him to members of the Association of Divorce Financial Planners. In our first meeting, he admitted to me that he “wasn’t great with highly complex financial issues.” What he meant was: he didn’t...

If you’re the higher wage earner married to a husband who is chronically “underemployed,” this can cause a lot of resentment. Over time, resentment stemming from an imbalance of money or imbalance of responsibility spills over into other areas and, subsequently,...

I clicked the e-File button to submit a last-minute client’s tax return. Within minutes, the IRS pinged me in their cryptic code: “Another taxpayer has claimed this dependent in a tax return already filed.” When that happens, there can only be two scenarios: either...

Most people don’t realize there is anything left to do after the divorce agreement is finalized. Once they’ve hammered out the details of the divorce settlement, signed on the dotted line, and accepted their fate, many clients assume that their attorney is going to...

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, “marriage, motherhood and homemaking” was considered a practical answer to the dilemma of long-term financial security. Lots of things have changed for better or worse. In the plus column: higher education, greater job...

Perhaps you are newly divorced or are going to be filing your tax return without your spouse for the first time this year. Failure to plan ahead can result in an unexpected tax liability. However, with proper planning, you may find yourself in the fortunate position...

One of the most complex questions in litigation or mediation is, “Should I try to keep the house?” This calculation  requires accurate financial analysis prior to negotiation to evaluate whether (or not) it’s a worthwhile want. Because the marital home is such an...

Each tax season in my work as a CFP, I have the unpleasant task of informing a recent divorcee that they have an unexpected and substantial tax liability. It’s a curious phenomenon that during tax preparation, the spousal support payor rarely forgets the deduction and...

In most marriages, it is not unusual for one spouse to have a more “hands-on” role or a better understanding of the marital finances. For a variety of reasons (fear, control, stereotypical gender roles), the spouse who is less focused on “how the money works” may not...