Yes. Orlando Divorce Planning can work with both spouses during the divorce process.
When we do, both spouses become our clients, and each signs a separate engagement agreement. We do not treat the couple as one financial household, and we do not advocate for one spouse against the other. Our Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) team looks at each person’s financial situation independently and helps both understand how different settlement options may affect them after the divorce.
We also help prepare much of the financial documentation needed to move a Florida divorce toward completion. This can include Financial Affidavits, Child Support Guidelines Worksheets, equitable distribution schedules, and other financial documents required as part of the divorce process.
Will we both work with the same CDFA®?
It depends.
Orlando Divorce Planning has two Certified Divorce Financial Analysts® on our team.
In some cases, one CDFA® works with both spouses. In others, each spouse may primarily work with a different CDFA® while our team collaborates on the overall financial analysis.
Having two CDFA® professionals gives us the flexibility to structure the engagement in the way that works best for the couple.
A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® focuses specifically on helping clients understand the financial issues and long-term consequences that can come with divorce decisions.
What does the process look like?
Four simple steps.
Every couple is different, but a joint engagement generally follows four steps:
- Discovery call. A complimentary conversation to understand your situation and confirm that a joint engagement makes sense for both of you.
- Information gathering. We help both spouses collect and organize the financial information needed — accounts, assets, debts, income, and expenses.
- Analysis and scenario modeling. We evaluate settlement options and show each spouse how those options may play out for them over time.
- Documentation. We help turn the decisions into the financial documentation needed to move the divorce toward completion, such as Financial Affidavits and equitable distribution schedules.
Do you help prepare the financial documents needed for a Florida divorce?
Yes. This is a significant part of what we do.
In addition to analyzing settlement options, Orlando Divorce Planning can help prepare the financial documentation commonly required during a Florida divorce, including:
- Financial Affidavits
- Child Support Guidelines Worksheets
- Equitable distribution schedules and supporting financial documentation
- Other financial schedules and calculations needed to help document the proposed settlement
Florida is an equitable distribution state, so organizing marital and non-marital assets clearly is an important part of the process. Preparing this documentation can be especially efficient when we work with both spouses, because the financial information is being organized and analyzed within the same process.
Our role remains financial. We do not provide legal advice or prepare legal pleadings, and we encourage each spouse to obtain independent legal advice before signing a final marital settlement agreement.
Do we have to meet together?
No.
How we structure meetings depends on the couple and the issues being addressed.
Some meetings may include both spouses. Other conversations may take place individually. Meetings can be held in person at our Orlando office or virtually, so we can work with couples anywhere in Florida — including spouses who live in different cities.
The goal is to create a process that allows each person to understand the financial issues while maintaining transparency around the assumptions and settlement options being evaluated.
Can I speak with you privately?
Yes, but there is an important limitation.
We may have individual conversations with each spouse. However, information that materially affects the financial analysis cannot be withheld from the other spouse.
The process only works when both people are willing to provide the financial information necessary to evaluate the settlement accurately.
Are you acting as our mediator or our attorney?
No.
Orlando Divorce Planning is not acting as a mediator or as legal counsel.
We can help facilitate discussions about financial issues, model different options, and explain the financial consequences of those choices.
For example, we may help evaluate different approaches involving retirement accounts, the marital home, support, cash flow, or other significant financial decisions.
We can also discuss whether an option appears financially balanced or workable. We are not making a legal determination about what is equitable under Florida law.
Can you work alongside our attorneys or mediator?
Yes, and we often do.
Many of the couples we work with also have attorneys, a mediator, or both. Our financial analysis and documentation are designed to support those professionals, not replace them.
Attorneys and mediators frequently rely on our work to keep the financial discussion organized — accurate affidavits, clearly documented assets and debts, and settlement scenarios that have already been modeled. That can help the legal process move faster and stay focused.
If you already have attorneys involved, we are happy to coordinate with them from the start.
What happens if we disagree?
That’s normal — and the process can still work.
Disagreement does not automatically mean the process will not work.
Our role is to help both spouses understand the financial impact of the available options. We can model alternatives, explain the tradeoffs, and help facilitate the financial discussion.
For example, if one spouse wants to keep the marital home and the other wants it sold, we can model both scenarios side by side — including the mortgage, taxes, upkeep, and the retirement or investment assets that might offset the home’s value — so both spouses can see what each path looks like years down the road, not just at the settlement table.
The decision ultimately belongs to the spouses.
Is working with both spouses less expensive than hiring two financial professionals?
It can be.
When both spouses use the same financial planning process, there may be less duplication of financial analysis, document preparation, and information gathering than if each person hires a separate financial professional.
That does not mean every joint engagement will cost less. The complexity of the finances and the amount of analysis required will still affect the overall cost.
Each spouse signs a separate engagement agreement, and the spouses can decide between themselves how they want to handle payment of the retainer.
Who is a good fit for this approach?
Couples willing to be transparent and act in good faith.
Working with both spouses tends to work best when both people are willing to be transparent about their finances and participate in the process in good faith.
They do not have to agree on everything.
In fact, one of the reasons financial analysis can be valuable is that it gives both people a clearer understanding of what different settlement options actually mean.
The process can work particularly well for couples who want to reduce conflict, avoid unnecessary duplication, and make decisions based on financial information rather than assumptions — including couples pursuing an amicable or uncontested divorce in Florida.
When might working with both spouses not be appropriate?
When trust or transparency breaks down.
There are situations where a joint engagement may not be the right fit.
Significant distrust, unwillingness to provide financial information, concerns about hidden assets or financial abuse, or an expectation that we will advocate for one spouse against the other can make the process difficult or inappropriate.
If the joint arrangement stops working, Orlando Divorce Planning may need to end the engagement rather than continue working for only one spouse.
Do we still need attorneys?
No, but we recommend independent legal advice.
You do not need to have attorneys involved in order to work with Orlando Divorce Planning.
However, we encourage each spouse to obtain independent legal advice before signing a final marital settlement agreement.
Our role is financial. An attorney’s role is legal.
Those are different functions, and both can be important when making decisions that may affect you for years after the divorce.
What is the goal of working with both spouses?
Clarity — not identical outcomes.
It is to help each spouse understand the long-term financial impact of the choices being considered and to help turn those decisions into the financial documentation needed to move the divorce toward completion.
A settlement can look reasonable on paper while producing very different results for each person over time.
By looking at those consequences before an agreement is finalized, both spouses can make more informed decisions about their financial future.
Take the First Step Toward Clarity
Divorce is one of the biggest financial transitions most people will ever go through — and you do not have to navigate it in the dark, or alone.
If you and your spouse are considering working with Orlando Divorce Planning together, schedule a complimentary discovery call, reach us at 407.707.9020, or email cdfa@orlandodivorceplanning.com. We will help you figure out whether a joint engagement makes sense for your situation.
Disclaimer:
This article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or individualized financial advice. Orlando Divorce Planning does not provide legal advice or prepare legal pleadings. Each spouse is encouraged to seek independent legal counsel before signing a final marital settlement agreement.