Going through a divorce is an extremely difficult and stressful life event and it is important that you have the right team in place to help you navigate what this means for you both personally and financially. But this is easier said than done especially with the emotional stress that divorce brings.

Those going through the divorce process especially when the relationship breakdown was unexpected may not have the mental bandwidth to deal with the practical decisions that need to be made particularly if they are struggling to envisage a future life without their ex-spouse.

Who, then should you turn to in order to help you achieve the right outcome.

Who Should Be In The Boat?

There are a number of different professionals that can be engaged who can provide valuable advice and support throughout the divorce process.

Solicitor

Choosing the right Solicitor is extremely important and you need to feel comfortable that the firm you instruct and the Solicitor and their team have your best interests at heart. You need to be able to communicate with each other, set realistic expectations and have a clear strategy to achieve your desired outcome.

Many family lawyers are members of Resolution which is a national group of family lawyers who abide by a Code of Practice to conduct work in a collaborative way taking into account the needs of the whole family - Resolution | Resolution

It makes sense to speak with at least two firms before you make a decision and you should ask them about how they work, their experience, who would work on your case and how much they charge.

You may need to approach a law firm that specialises in particular issues that affect your case, for example, there may be complex financial assets located in multiple jurisdictions. There may be matters affecting your children that might require a specialist lawyer in that area.

Financial Planner

Increasingly Financial Planners are being engaged both during the divorce process as well as after the financial settlement has been agreed.

A good Financial Planner, one that uses a sophisticated cashflow modelling tool, can provide financial clarity regarding your current financial situation and then model different scenarios to help you see the impact of any proposed financial settlement.

For example, how much income is required to maintain your existing lifestyle and what capital may be required to achieve this. Also, questions around whether you should retain the family home and offset this with, say, your ex-spouse’s pension.

Often you will be referred to a Financial Planner by the Solicitor you instruct and many law firms will suggest you meet with at least two financial planners.

As with your Solicitor, you should ask questions regarding qualifications and experience and how they will be paid.

Divorce Coach

Both a Solicitor and a Financial Planner will have a wealth of knowledge in their respective areas and will act with empathy and integrity putting your needs first at all times. However, despite their best efforts many people find dealing with Solicitors and Financial Planners rather daunting.

Going through a divorce can be physically and mentally draining and, for many people, everyday life has to continue in that they will still need to go to work or look after the children. Dealing with the emotional fall-out of a divorce often means that you will not want to complete a Form E or have long conversations regarding your income needs.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, you may want to use a Divorce Coach who, often, is a trained medical health professional who works with you through the divorce process.

A Divorce Coach can help you build and strengthen the skills to cope with your emotions as you go through the divorce process and to help you address your fears and build resilience. They can also help you to envision what your life might look like post-divorce and to help you overcome the fear of starting over.

Again, when looking to appoint a Divorce Coach, you should ask questions regarding their qualifications and experience, how long they would envisage working with you and how much they charge.

The Advantages of Working Together

By having the right team working together and pulling in the same direction, it is more likely that you can achieve the outcome you are looking for. Engaging constructively with your Solicitor and Financial Planner may only be possible following support from your Divorce Coach. Having financial clarity over your current financial situation and what you may need in the future will help your Solicitor formulate an appropriate strategy to help you achieve the outcome you want.

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If you are a Solicitor, Divorce Coach or, indeed, someone going through the divorce process, feel free to reach out if you would like to discuss how we can work together.

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Divorce – Picking The Right Team

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