What are the financial decisions and factors that need to be considered upon divorce?
What does divorce normally cost?
What is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™?
Why is it that everyone I know who has gone through a divorce feels financially devastated?

Q: What are the financial decisions and factors that need to be considered upon divorce?
A: There are a multitude of questions your mediator can help you determine:
  • Who gets the house?
  • Who gets the furniture?
  • How will your money and investments be divided?
  • How much child support should be paid?
  • Who will pay for the childcare, medical expenses, college, summer camp, etc. for the children?
  • How are retirement funds and future pensions factored into the divorce settlement?
  • How will the lower earning spouse survive financially?
  • What are the tax and capital gains issues of dividing property and paying/receiving support?
  • How do we put a value on our property?
  • Who will pay the credit card bills and other debts?
  • What happens if a paying ex-spouse dies?
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Q: What does divorce normally cost?
A: Graine Mediation charges $150 per hour. With the average mediation taking 5 sessions, at 2 hours per session, plus approximately 2 hours for preparation of the Memorandum of Understanding, the cost averages $1,800.

Contested divorces, where there is litigation involved, are much more expensive and require two fees (for two attorneys) instead of one mediator fee. Attorneys’ hourly rates are usually much higher than Graine Mediation, too, and are often even higher for court appearances. There is an expression: “Love is grand. Divorce is twenty grand!” For more information on the cost of divorce, see our Cost & Fee Comparison Chart in the FAQ section.

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Q: What is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™?
A: In addition to her legal and personal experience in divorce, Robin is also a candidate for the title of Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ (CDFA). This training focuses on the tax and planning issues facing divorcing couples. The role of a CDFA is to assist the parties in understanding how the financial decisions they make today will impact their financial futures based on certain assumptions. The criteria to be a CDFA is stringent and CDFA’s go through an intensive training program to become skilled at analyzing and providing expertise on the financial issues in divorce.

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Q: Why is it that everyone I know who has gone through a divorce feels financially devastated?
A: In divorce, people face very expensive new challenges. They have lost their economic balance due to the fact that they now have doubled their expenses with two mortgages or rents, two electric bills, two health insurance policies, two homes to maintain, etc. Add to this the enormous costs of court battles and litigation, and you can end up with a financial disaster and even find yourself in bankruptcy.

With proper financial analysis and planning, some of these problems can be alleviated. And, certainly, a mediated settlement avoids the litigation costs and allows you to put that money to better use, such as your children’s education. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain if you try mediation. See our Cost & Fee Comparison Chart in the FAQ section.