Kristin E. DiMeo, CPA, ABV, has served
as the Financial Neutral in over 75 collaborative family law matters in the Tampa Bay area.
Margaret Yonco - Haines, Esq. has a private practice as a family and divorce mediator and acts
as a financial neutral in collaborative divorce matters.
The reality of acting
as a financial neutral is that you are still a human being with your own emotions, history, vulnerability, and hot buttons that can be triggered.
As a financial neutral, I can help them both face the reality of their situation and discover the possible paths forward to optimize their financial future.
And for more advanced training on HCPs and acting
as a financial neutral, consider enrolling in VELOCITY through the Divorce Financial Planner Training Center.
While most of my divorce work involves helping couples work through their divorce settlement (both financial and parenting) in a dignified way, I also act
as the financial neutral on collaborative divorce cases and as the financial expert on litigation cases.
We act
as a financial neutral, working with both parties to understand their finances, as well as the results of various settlement scenarios.
When working
as a financial neutral on the collaborative team, Natalie helps to educate the clients about the short - term and obvious, and the long - term and not so obvious financial results of suggested financial settlement options.
The lawyers then typically recommend a neutral mental health professional (collaborative divorce coach) as well
as a financial neutral (typically a CFP or CPA) to work with the parties as well.
David is a trained Collaborative Divorce Professional, specializing
as a Financial Neutral and Collaborative Facilitator
Kristin E. DiMeo, CPA, ABV, has served
as the Financial Neutral in over 75 collaborative family law matters in the Tampa Bay area.
Not exact matches
Neutral real interest rates may well rise over the next few years
as the American economy creates jobs at a rapid rate and the effects of the
financial crisis diminish.
It's been a quiet and
neutral session so far in traditional global
financial markets,
as only cryptocurrencies experienced significant moves.
In collaborative divorce, the forensic accountant plays a unique role in that he or she acts
as a «
neutral advisor» who provides the divorcing couple with objective, unbiased
financial advice.
Although Collaborative Practice is a legal process, in the Collaborative Divorce process, the couple and a team of specially trained Collaborative Professionals, including
neutral Mental Health and
Financial Professionals,
as needed, enter into a contract called a tyticipation Agreement wherein they agree to work together to achieve a satisfactory settlement in a cooperative manner without court intervention.
In the traditional divorce process, countless depositions and hearings are held
as each party conducts a fishing expedition into the other party's finances; in the collaborative process, the clients retain a joint
neutral financial professional to ensure transparency, develop options for family support and division of property and debt, and help the clients transition into single life on a firmer
financial footing.
In collaborative divorce, the parties pay for one forensic accountant that acts
as a
neutral, unbiased
financial advisor, rather than each spouse paying for their own forensic experts.
As remarked above, considerations regarding the
financial impact upon the respective parties of making (or not making) an order for interim relief are ultimately
neutral because they cut both ways.
In working with a joint
neutral financial professional, you and your spouse can work to inventory separate and community property, gather information
as to property and debts, generate options to divide the property and evaluate the merits of each option.
In a collaborative divorce, the parties use specially - trained attorneys and
neutral allied consultants, such
as financial advisors, communication coaches, and parenting planners.
His past experience and training
as an investment advisor representative and general securities representative (Series 7 and Series 66 licensed) through the
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) enables him to better serve his clients in a
neutral capacity.
In Florida, the main model that is used is known
as the
Neutral Facilitator model, where each party has an attorney, a neutral facilitator with a mental health licensure helps with parenting issues and ensures discussions are future - focused, and a neutral financial professional aids in creating family budgets and ensures financial transparency and disc
Neutral Facilitator model, where each party has an attorney, a
neutral facilitator with a mental health licensure helps with parenting issues and ensures discussions are future - focused, and a neutral financial professional aids in creating family budgets and ensures financial transparency and disc
neutral facilitator with a mental health licensure helps with parenting issues and ensures discussions are future - focused, and a
neutral financial professional aids in creating family budgets and ensures financial transparency and disc
neutral financial professional aids in creating family budgets and ensures
financial transparency and disclosure.
As would a prenuptial agreement, a postnuptial agreement has to be in writing and signed by the parties, and it is important for there to be a
neutral and complete
financial disclosure between the parties before it is signed.
With the guidance of a
neutral Collaborative
Financial Professional, you can have peace of mind as you navigate through the potential minefield of financial decisions in your
Financial Professional, you can have peace of mind
as you navigate through the potential minefield of
financial decisions in your
financial decisions in your divorce.
A facilitator, who generally has a mental health license, is oftentimes utilized to ensure that the parties focus on what is most important to them (such
as their children) rather than the arguments of the past, and a
neutral financial professional is oftentimes used to cut costs on
financial disclosure and ensure the parties have a personally - tailored
financial solution.
Financial coaches may assist one or both parents / spouses, often work
as neutral professionals together with both parents / spouses, and often work in the out - of - court context.
«Besides being able to bring its expertise, let alone its
financial muscles, to the table, the Fund often also plays an important role
as a
neutral third party,» he said.
Previous posts have looked at the ways Mental Health Coaches struggle in Collaborative Divorce cases
as well
as the ways in which
Financial Neutrals can unintentionally get in the way of solid divorce settlement agreements.
Under - functioning
Financial Neutrals see themselves
as extensions of the other professionals, especially the attorneys, and do not live fully into their own unique professional role on the team.
But the
Financial Neutral knows the proposal will not result in a true equal division once the team takes into account various factors such
as taxation, investment value, opportunity cost, and issues of appreciation / depreciation.
There are typically three types of professionals (or «consultants») who work with parties who choose to divorce using the collaborative divorce process: attorneys,
financial neutrals, and mental health professionals (typically referred to
as «coaches.»)
This person acts
as an objective
neutral whose job is to help the team members understand any of the
financial aspects of the divorce.
As a result, the parties are able to merge their attorneys» legal advice with the
financial neutral's advice, which often leads to much more sophisticated or nuanced settlement results than would be true if everyone is mechanically dividing assets and debts without the benefit of professional
financial advice.
Similarly, because
financial neutrals are always precluded from serving
as investment advisors to the parties with whom they work in collaborative divorce cases, they also serve
as a bridge to the parties» post-divorce investment advisors, helping the advisors understand what assets the parties will be receiving and then also going back to the collaborative divorce team to suggest ways to make the parties» post-divorce
financial transitions go
as smoothly
as possible.
By: Gina Gallo, CFP ®, CDFA ™ Working
as a Collaborative Team member, the
financial neutral's objective is to provide
financial assistance
as requested with the goal of assisting the clients in achieving what they perceive
as their best possible outcome under the circumstances.
In fact, (
as was discussed more in an earlier post regarding the «roadmap» of collaborative divorce cases in Middle Tennessee), no substantive settlement options are discussed by the team until the
financial neutral (and attorneys) are comfortable that all relevant and / or helpful
financial information has been obtained, analyzed, and summarized in a detailed written report.
The
Financial Neutral takes a great deal of care in the divorce process to be sure that both parties fully understand their current financial situation, as well as the way finances can and can not work after the
Financial Neutral takes a great deal of care in the divorce process to be sure that both parties fully understand their current
financial situation, as well as the way finances can and can not work after the
financial situation,
as well
as the way finances can and can not work after the divorce.
Depending upon the needs of the divorcing couple, non-legal professionals such
as a child specialist or
neutral financial professional can be an important part of the settlement team in both mediation and collaboration practice.
Mediation is a process in which you and your spouse work out your
financial and marital differences with the assistance of a
neutral party known
as a Mediator.
As a
neutral financial professional on divorce cases, I am often a witness to
financial risks that late - life divorce poses for women.
But there is room within these limitations for the couple's regular accountant or advisor to provide
financial information (such
as profit and loss for a business, or divorce - related calculations) to the advisor serving
as a
neutral party, who can then analyze, inform, and encourage the parties to come to their own conclusions.
Collaborative divorce is a private dispute resolution option which requires each spouse to: (i) treat one another respectfully, (ii) be open and honest in his or her
financial dealings, (iii) agree to settle things privately and not to engage in courtroom battles, (iv) hire an attorney for the limited purpose of helping the parties reach an agreement which addresses both parties» concerns, (v) utilize a
neutral facilitator (which is substantially the same
as a mediator except anything said in front of the facilitator may be disclosed to the other spouse), and, (vi) if there are substantial assets and liabilities, engage a
neutral financial professional.
A
neutral financial professional is oftentimes retained to cut down the costs of gathering and disclosing
financial information and developing options for support
as well
as division of property and debts.
In the traditional divorce process, countless depositions and hearings are held
as each party conducts a fishing expedition into the other party's finances; in the collaborative process, the clients retain a joint
neutral financial professional to ensure transparency, develop options for family support and division of property and debt, and help the clients transition into single life on a firmer
financial footing.
Neutral, collaboratively trained
financial and mental health professionals are brought in
as needed to assist in resolving
financial, custody and other related issues.
As a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), I can work with divorcing couples either as a neutral financial advisor or as an advisor to one spouse if that is needed, to resolve financial issues that arise during the divorce proces
As a Certified
Financial Planner (CFP), I can work with divorcing couples either as a neutral financial advisor or as an advisor to one spouse if that is needed, to resolve financial issues that arise during the divorce
Financial Planner (CFP), I can work with divorcing couples either
as a neutral financial advisor or as an advisor to one spouse if that is needed, to resolve financial issues that arise during the divorce proces
as a
neutral financial advisor or as an advisor to one spouse if that is needed, to resolve financial issues that arise during the divorce
financial advisor or
as an advisor to one spouse if that is needed, to resolve financial issues that arise during the divorce proces
as an advisor to one spouse if that is needed, to resolve
financial issues that arise during the divorce
financial issues that arise during the divorce process.
Proposed final orders, a
financial declaration and, if parenting is at issue, a proposed parenting plan,
as well
as any other materials requested by the
neutral third person must be provided to the
neutral third person and all parties no later than two (2) working days before the day scheduled for the conference.
In Collaborative practice, the spouses have the option of choosing to work with Collaboratively - trained
neutral family professionals (mental health), child specialists, and
financial professionals
as part of the team and do so when they believe it would benefit their particular case.
They hire a
neutral financial specialist to help with the money issues and a child specialist to serve
as a voice for the children.
The spouses usually retain a
neutral financial professional, generally with a background
as a
financial planner or forensic accountant.