Whether the split is amicable or contentious, you want to make sure you get your fair share in the divorce settlement.
The stakes are high, and you only get one shot at this. It’s time to assemble your divorce dream team.
You need the best of the best legal eagles, financial experts, and therapists to help you navigate this challenging time. Don’t rely on your soon-to-be ex’s team to look out for your best interests. Hire professionals solely dedicated to your side. Your dream team will help determine what’s fair, uncover hidden assets, and provide emotional support so you can make the right decisions.
While the road ahead may be difficult, you will come out the other side with confidence knowing you achieved the best possible outcome by surrounding yourself with experts every step of the way. Victory will be yours. Now, go find your dream team so you can win big in your divorce settlement! The future is yours for the taking.
Your Divorce Dream Team needs to cover every element of divorce
Your divorce dream team needs to have experts in every area of divorce to make sure you get the best settlement.
- Your Lawyer
- Financial Advisor
- Divorce Coach / Mediator
- Therapist
- Private Investigator
With the right team of professionals in your corner, you’ll be in the strongest position to get what you deserve in your divorce. Each member plays a key role in building a winning case, uncovering the truth, and helping you move on to a new chapter.
Your Divorce Lawyer: Finding the Right Attorney for Your Case
Finding the right divorce attorney is one of the most important decisions you’ll make during this difficult process. Do your research to find an attorney with experience in cases similar to yours. Check reviews from former clients to determine their strengths, success rates, and weaknesses. Ask friends or family members who have gone through a divorce for recommendations.
Selection
Once you have a shortlist, schedule consultations. Discuss their availability, responsiveness, courtroom manner and other relevant qualities. Ask how they anticipate handling your case and what their strategy might be. Get a sense of their style and whether you feel comfortable with them. Don’t feel pressured into signing a retainer right away. Take time to think it over and trust your instincts.
Look for a shark litigator if you anticipate a contentious battle, or a mediator if you hope to resolve issues amicably. Examine their credentials and credentials, membership in family law organizations. An attorney who is also a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) can help ensure you get your fair share of assets.
Negotiate the retainer fee and make sure you understand exactly what services are included before signing. Establish clear expectations up front about communication and availability. Your attorney should be responsive, keeping you informed at every step. With the right counsel in your corner, you’ll get the outcome you deserve and can move on with confidence.
Financial Experts: Forensic Accountants and Financial Analysts
Financial experts like forensic accountants and financial analysts are key players in determining what’s fair in a divorce settlement. They dig into the financial details to uncover assets and determine their true value.
Forensic Accountants
Forensic accountants specialize in investigating financial records to uncover hidden or undisclosed assets. They will meticulously comb through tax returns, bank statements, business records, and other financial documents to find accounts, properties, investments or other assets that may not have been disclosed. Their detective work is critical to ensuring all marital assets are included in the settlement negotiations.
Financial Analysts
Financial analysts evaluate the assets and determine their fair market value. They will assess things like real estate, investment portfolios, retirement funds, collectibles, and more. They use their experience and knowledge of the market to determine realistic values for these assets as of the date of separation. Their valuations provide the basis for splitting assets equitably between spouses.
Working as a team, forensic accountants and financial analysts provide the solid financial foundation necessary for your lawyer to negotiate the best possible settlement on your behalf. While their services don’t come cheap, the additional assets and fair valuations they uncover can translate into a significantly better financial outcome, making them worth the investment.
Your divorce dream team just got a whole lot smarter with these financial experts in your corner. With their help uncovering hidden assets and determining true market values, you’ll have the insight and confidence to pursue your best financial future.
Therapists and Counselors: Coping With the Emotional Toll
Coping with the emotional upheaval of divorce is difficult, but surrounding yourself with the right therapists and counselors can help you navigate this challenging time.
Marriage Counselor
Seeking counseling before pursuing divorce can be helpful. A marriage counselor may be able to get to the root of your problems, improve communication, and possibly save your marriage. However, if divorce is inevitable, a counselor can help make the process smoother by facilitating difficult discussions in a constructive way.
Personal Therapist
Speaking with a therapist on your own can help you work through the complicated emotions that come with divorce like sadness, anger, and regret. A therapist provides a judgment-free space to vent, gain perspective, and find ways of self-care. They can also help you establish boundaries and set healthy expectations for life after divorce.
Divorce Coach
A divorce coach specializes in guiding you through the practical aspects of divorce. They help create a tailored plan to reach a fair settlement, including division of assets and child custody agreements. A coach can give you the knowledge and tools to make informed financial and legal decisions to win your best settlement. They may also refer you to hand-picked mediators, attorneys and financial advisors.
Surrounding yourself with this team of emotional and practical support can help reduce stress, gain clarity, and find inner strength during your divorce journey. While the road ahead may be bumpy, with the right team by your side, you’ll come out the other end stronger and ready to start your new life.
Private Investigators: Gathering Evidence and Asset Information
To build a solid case for your divorce settlement, hiring a private investigator to gather evidence and uncover assets is key. ### Private Investigators: Gathering Evidence and Asset Information
A private investigator, or PI, is trained to conduct surveillance, research public records, and uncover hidden bank accounts or property that the other party is attempting to conceal. They know how to trace money trails and find clues that you likely would miss. For the best outcome in your divorce case, hiring an experienced PI to investigate your spouse is worth the investment.
Information
Once hired, provide the PI with as much information as possible about your spouse, accounts, properties, vehicles, etc. to help focus their investigation. They may conduct stakeouts, rifle through trash, interview friends and business associates, search property records and monitor computer activity. Any stone left unturned could mean losing out on assets or money that should be part of your settlement.
A PI’s evidence gathering may turn up signs of infidelity, gambling issues, lavish spending or other behaviors that strengthen your negotiating position. They can also uncover joint or separate bank accounts, investment accounts, valuable collectibles, vacation homes, or other properties that were not disclosed. The more assets and details a PI reveals, the better equipped you’ll be to contest unrealistic settlement offers and push for what you deserve.
For the strongest divorce case and biggest payout, a PI is an essential teammate. Their stealth, experience and access to advanced search tools will uncover what needs to be known to win big in your divorce settlement. With the PI’s evidence and asset information in hand, you’ll have the leverage to secure a fair and just result.
Other Support: Real Estate Agents, Business Valuators, Child Specialists
Surrounding yourself with the right team of professionals can make a huge difference in your divorce outcome. In addition to your divorce lawyer, consider bringing in specialists to value key assets.
Real Estate Agents
Hire an agent familiar with properties in your area to provide an objective estimate of your home’s market value. Their comparative market analysis can counter an lowball offer from your ex’s side.
Business Valuators
If you own a business, engage a certified business valuator to determine its fair market value. They can assess factors like cash flow, assets, industry standards, and goodwill to give an accurate picture of what the business is worth. Their report and testimony may be needed if you end up in court.
Child Specialists
For custody cases, psychologists, counselors, and social workers who specialize in children and families can evaluate what arrangement is in the best interests of your kids. A child custody evaluation can weigh factors like each parent’s ability to provide care, the child’s needs and wishes, relationships with extended family, and more. Their recommendations, especially if the professionals testify in court, carry significant weight.
Other professionals, like tax advisors, mortgage brokers, insurance agents, and financial planners may also provide useful information for your case. Build your team carefully, checking credentials and experience, to get the best possible support. Their input and expertise can help ensure you end up with an equitable settlement that provides well for you and your children’s future.
Where to find the divorce experts you need?
To assemble your divorce dream team, you’ll need to track down various legal and financial professionals. The good news is, many of these experts advertise their services on the internet and your local referral networks.
One good option to find your Divorce Dream team is through the Divorce Club Directory.
At the time of writing they have;
- 6633 Lawyers
- 4268 Divorce Coaches
- 425 Divorce Financial Advisors
- Across 86 different countries
Check with your state’s bar association website for listings of attorneys in your area who focus on family law and divorce. Look for those with years of experience, expertise in complex divorce cases, and a solid reputation. Set up consultations to find one you connect with.
For financial aspects, seek out forensic accountants, appraisers, and financial planners familiar with divorce proceedings. They can uncover hidden assets, determine the value of property, and help you create a post-divorce financial plan. Ask your divorce attorney for recommendations or search online for “divorce financial professional” along with your city name.
Therapists and counselors experienced with divorce recovery groups can provide emotional support. Contact local mental health clinics, family counseling centers, and divorce support groups for referrals. Online searches for “marriage and family therapists” and “divorce counselors” may turn up options in your area.
Use personal networking to find other professionals like private investigators, real estate agents, tax advisors and mediators. Ask trusted friends, your family doctor or members of local civic organizations if they know any divorce specialists they can recommend. Personal referrals from those who’ve “been there” can be invaluable.
With persistence, you can assemble an experienced team to help you get the best possible outcome in your divorce. But choose them wisely—these pros will have a significant impact on your future. Put in the effort to find the experts you really need in your corner.
Conclusion
You’ve gone through the tough work of finding the best divorce lawyers, financial advisors and therapists to support you. Now comes the time to reap the rewards.
With your Divorce Dream Team behind you, you’re in the best position to get what you deserve in your divorce settlement and come out the other side stronger. Your ex may try to lowball you, but don’t settle – you’ve got a team of experts who know your true worth.
Stay confident in the offers they advise you to make and reject. You’ve paid for the best, so get the best. A few months of legal wrangling will be worth it when you’re living your best life post-divorce, financially secure and independent.
With your Divorce Dream Team by your side, you’ve got this! Now go get what’s yours.
