Dividing Everything
Divorce requires understanding everything you have in one or both of your names and then determining what to do with it all moving forward. Learn everything you need to about building a balance sheet and how this analysis works.
Learn about the types of children's accounts, their treatment in divorce, and the options for division to continue to support children and protect assets for their benefit.
Learn about various types of debts and liabilities; how to value them and how they can be addressed in divorce.
Learn about challenges valuing personal property, like cars, household goods, pets, and frequent flier miles, and how they can be addressed in divorce.
Learn about business interests, focusing on complex valuation techniques and the various options for handling business interests in divorce.
Learn about the different types of life insurance and how it is handled in property division in divorce.
Walk through various considerations when valuing and dividing or buying out retirement.
Walk through various considerations when valuing and dividing or buying out employer incentives, like bonuses or stock options.
Walk through various considerations when valuing and dividing or buying out investment accounts.
Walk through various considerations when valuing and dividing or buying out bank accounts or other cash equivalents.
Walk through various considerations when valuing, dividing or buying out equity in real estate.
Learn about a balance sheet and how it can help you in the property division analysis.
Learn about property division law generally and key differences between community property states and equitable division states.
Learn about the legal types of property and how different jurisdictions categorize your assets and liabilities.
Property division is one of the two financial categories addressed in divorce, focusing on the division of assets and liabilities, including real estate, debts, financial accounts, investments, automobiles and personal possessions.
Property Division - Overview of Dividing Assets and Liabilities
A brief overview and introduction to property division (allocation of assets and liabilities) in divorce.
Legal Categories of Property - Learn the Basics
Learn about the different legal categories of assets and liabilities that is the foundation of the property division analysis.
Property Division Legal Overview - More of the Basics
Learn about community property division and equitable property division, whichi s appolicable in your state, and the key differences between these two legal concepts.
Balance Sheet - What is it and How to Build One
Learn about building a balance sheet and how it can provide a comprehensive overview of your net worth and help facilitate your property division.
Real Estate - How to Value and How to Divide
Walk through various considerations when valuing, dividing or buying out equity in real estate.
Bank Accounts & Cash Equivalents - How to Value and How to Divide
Walk through various considerations when valuing and dividing or buying out bank accounts or other cash equivalents.
Investment Accounts - How to Value and How to Divide
Walk through various considerations when valuing and dividing or buying out investment accounts.
Employer Incentives - How to Value and How to Divide
Walk through various considerations when valuing and dividing or buying out employer incentives, like bonuses or stock options.
Retirement - How to Value and How to Divide
Walk through various considerations when valuing and dividing or buying out retirement.
Life Insurance - How to Value and How to Divide
Learn about the different types of life insurance and how it is handled in property division in divorce.
Business Interests - How to Value and How to Divide
Learn about business interests, focusing on complex valuation techniques and the various options for handling business interests in divorce.
Personal Use Assets or Personal Property - How to Value and How to Divide
Learn about challenges valuing personal property, like cars, household goods, pets, and frequent flier miles, and how they can be addressed in divorce.
Underwriting
The lender’s process of evaluating a borrower’s financial profile (income, debt, credit) to decide whether to approve a refinance or assumption.
Refinance
The process of replacing an existing mortgage with a new one, typically done in divorce to remove a spouse from the loan, pay off the existing balance, and possibly extract equity for a buyout.
Loan Term
The length of time over which the mortgage must be repaid (typically 15 or 30 years); a refinance typically restarts the term while a loan assumption maintains the current term.
Loan Modification
A change made to the terms of an existing loan by the lender, sometimes considered as an alternative to refinancing, though not a common divorce solution and not to be confused with a loan assumption or refinance.
Interest Rate
The cost of borrowing money, expressed as a percentage of the loan amount.
Indemnification Clause
A legal provision in a divorce decree stating that the spouse retaining the home will protect ("indemnify") the other from any financial or legal harm related to the mortgage; this clause does not remove the non-retaining spouse from the loan in the eyes of the lender.
Debt-to-Income Ration (DTI)
Closing Costs
Fees and expenses paid during the refinancing or sale of a home, including lender fees, title insurance, appraisal fees, and recording charges - these can impact the affordability of refinancing or assuming a mortgage to buyout home equity.
Equity Buyout
A financial arrangement where one spouse pays the other their share of the home’s equity either with cash, through a refinance, or by offsetting with other marital assets allowing one person to keep the home.
Assumption
Also known as name deletion, a process where one spouse takes over the existing mortgage, becoming solely responsible for payments, while keeping the original loan terms (e.g., interest rate, balance, maturity date). Lender approval is typically required, and not all loans are assumable.
Certified Divorce Financial Analyst
In-Kind Transfer
The process of transferring ownership of assets without converting assets to cash and potentially incurring taxes, and instead directly transferring the actual asset itself, such as stocks, property, or other physical items.
Plan Administrator
The entity or individual responsible for managing a retirement plan, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and processing benefit distributions.
Warranty Deed
A legal document that guarantees the grantor has clear title to the property and the legal right to transfer it, providing assurances against any future claims or encumbrances.
Quit Claim Deed
A legal document used to transfer ownership interest in a property without providing any guarantees about the title's validity or freedom from encumbrances, often used in a divorce because of the familiarty and trust between the parties.
