When divorce occurs, what was enough to retire on, when you both lived in the same house, can become barely enough to live comfortably, or worse. Many of my mediation cases involve a stay-at-home parent, usually moms…

As a mediator and divorce financial analyst, I often meet with one spouse who is on board with mediating but must convince their spouse to go that same route. If you are approaching divorce, there are many reasons why mediation is the better choice…

Are you thinking about divorce? I get that you are frightened, stressed, and wondering how it’s all going to play out. People plan for their weddings; divorces are no different – they need planning. I’m not advocating for divorce…

You may not realize this, but when you file divorce papers, you are suing your spouse for divorce. Most people have never been involved in a lawsuit before and have never worked with an attorney for anything other than a traffic ticket or to prepare…

Although many think that after 20, 25 or even 35 years of marriage it will surely last “til death do us part,” more and more baby boomers are divorcing late in life. Divorcing after age 50, which is being called “gray divorce” is the fast growing…

To divide a 401(k) plan or pension in divorce, a court order is required. In the private sector, this document is called a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, or “QDRO,” and I will use that term generically in this article. However, federal plans…

Pensions are sort of a thing of the past, having been replaced by 401(k) plans (where employees have as much responsibility to save for their retirement as the employer), but they do still exist for government employees and the military…

When older couples divorce, usually one spouse wants to keep the marital home. Sometimes, the house is paid for, but often there is a mortgage. Although I find that many women find security in their home and want to keep it, to other women the house…

Keeping the marital home can be one of the biggest financial mistakes made in divorce. Many times, the reasons are emotional, and the costs, both financial and timewise, aren’t given enough consideration. There are both good reasons to keep…

Did you know that if you were married for at least 10 years, you may be able to claim Social Security benefits based on your ex-husband’s work record? This is particularly important for women who were stay-at-home moms who had a shorter work history…