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What to expect in a Divorce Settlement – Offer to Settle Evaluation

Evaluating Your Divorce Settlement: Ensuring a Good Deal

Assessing Your Financial Stability Post-Divorce

How do you know you’re getting a good deal in your divorce case? The initial aspect to consider is your financial sustainability: Will you be able to manage your monthly bills and maintain your standard of living? If there’s a looming risk of financial strain, it’s crucial to reassess your divorce agreement. This introspection aligns with understanding what to expect in a divorce settlement, focusing on your long-term financial health and immediate expense management.

Planning for Retirement After Divorce

Another critical factor is your future retirement plans. A fair divorce settlement should not compel you to drastically change your lifestyle or jeopardize your retirement security. If your post-divorce situation forces you to start saving anew, lacking adequate retirement funds, the agreement might be skewed against you. The core objective of a favorable divorce settlement is to position you as securely as you were during the marriage, ensuring your financial independence and stability.

In both scenarios, understanding what to expect in a divorce settlement plays a vital role. It equips you with the knowledge to evaluate if the settlement addresses all crucial aspects of your financial future, ensuring that you do not compromise on essential long-term financial goals.

Effective Negotiation for a Secure Future

In effective settlement negotiation for a secure future, includes key factors such as negotiating child arrangements, understanding marital assets, and achieving equitable property division are crucial. Focusing on your best interests and financial security, I guide clients through negotiating favourable terms, ensuring fair spousal and child support arrangements, or minimizing such payments to safeguard retirement planning and lifestyle quality.

Why Choose a Certified Professional?

Collaborating with a certified divorce financial analyst and experienced family law mediator can significantly influence the outcome of your divorce settlement. By prioritizing legal advice, financial disclosure, and the intricacies of community property and marital assets, we strive to avoid the pitfalls of hidden assets and unfair agreements.

Contact me through video conference or visit one of our six Greater Toronto mediation centers for personalized assistance. Our commitment is to your financial well-being and the fair resolution of your divorce, ensuring you receive your equitable share without succumbing to excessive legal costs.

10 Ways Getting An Expert Opinion About Your Divorce Settlement Offer Will Help

  • Avoid making costly financial mistakes
  • Ensure all assets are identified and allocated
  • Ensure all entitlements are claimed
  • Minimize the tax implications of your settlement
  • Give you peace of mind through frequent reviews during your divorce proceedings
  • Address your personal concerns
  • Assess and evaluate key settlement documents
  • Receive cash flow projections showing you the short and long term implications of your offer
  • Evaluate or prepare ‘buy out’ offers
  • Give you the confidence to make informed decisions

You want to end the uncertainty. To be sure that your divorce settlement offer is fair and won’t leave you in financial trouble. Getting an expert to evaluate every aspect of the deal that’s on the table will go a long way to end the uncertainty and bring peace of mind.

Divorce Settlement Offer to Settle

3 Reasons Why You Need A Divorce Offer to Settle Evaluation

1) ONE CHANCE

That’s all you get to resolve your divorce settlement. Once you sign on the dotted line, you’re committed. Ensuring the terms are favorable to you is crucial, and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst can assess whether your settlement agreement aligns with your best interests. This evaluation is particularly important in high-asset divorce scenarios where the division of complex assets like retirement accounts and life insurance policies must be considered.

2) IS IT FAIR?

If you’re navigating family law for the first time, discerning the fairness of your divorce settlement can be daunting. A family lawyer may guide the legal aspects, but a financial specialist with expertise in divorce financial analysis is essential to assess the adequacy of your settlement, especially concerning financial disclosure, marital asset division, and spousal support. This is vital to ensure that you don’t walk away with far less than you deserve or overlook any hidden assets.

3) COULD YOU DO BETTER?

Without prior experience in negotiating divorce settlements, you might not identify opportunities to enhance the terms in your favor. Consulting with a certified divorce financial analyst ensures a thorough examination of your proposed agreement, addressing key aspects like property division, child custody, and ensuring equitable distribution of marital property. An expert’s insight can prevent you from accepting a bad deal and promote a negotiated settlement that respects your financial security and parenting time.

A skilled mediator or financial analyst can also aid in determining fair alimony amounts and uncovering any undisclosed assets, ensuring that your legal costs are an investment in securing a fair outcome. Remember, federal law requires a transparent and just process in family law cases, emphasizing the importance of experienced guidance in these matters.

I’m A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst

And I’m Ready To Help You

Hello, I’m Ken S. Maynard, and in my line of work, I’ve witnessed many serious financial errors being made during divorce settlement offer evaluations.

You might be tempted to get your divorce lawyer to handle the evaluation. But many lawyers don’t have the necessary skills to give you proper financial advice. And with so many divorce decisions affecting your finances, you really do need expert financial advice to ensure you get the best deal and don’t lose out on your entitlements.

Ken Maynard Divorce Financial Specialist Divorce Help

As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst at Divorce the Smartway, I’ve been providing divorce settlement offer evaluations for many years. But I know what it’s like to have limited financial knowledge, so please don’t feel embarrassed about asking me ANY questions about your divorce settlement offer.

As a survivor of separation and divorce, I have been through this life-altering event. I can tell you little has been reformed in family law over the decades. I came away from my own horrific experience with a single-minded passion: I would want no family to go through what my children and I went through.

My entry into the Financial Services sector began in the early 1980s. This was the era of 20% interest rates, collapsing markets. My role was collecting payments and restructuring financial arrangements in an environment where both sides had much to lose.  My mid-career work focused on troubled real estate. This saw me consulting to some of the big accounting firms, banks and private lenders with the work demanding the highest levels of financial analysis and exit strategy development.  Later in my financial career, I found myself in an analytical role at one of Canada’s leading Mutual Fund managers.

It’s all experience that has stood me in good stead when it comes to helping others make wise financial decisions in my current role, for which I undertook intensive training in order to develop analytical skills and expertise relating to divorce financial issues.

The Ways I Can Help You Get A Better Divorce Settlement

Of course, every case is different, and only by closely reviewing your unique circumstances can I offer you specific advice. But here are examples of how I’ve helped some previous clients:

CASE 1:

I consulted with a support payer who’s matrimonial home buy-out loan was declined by the mortgage lender. After reviewing the settlement structure. I crafted an alternate offer to settle structure that maintained the agreed payment but allows the mortgage loan to be approved by the lender.

CASE 2:

I achieved an increase of $105,000 in a property settlement for CLIENT A, because of a separate property not claimed in the initial proposal.

CASE 3:

After conducting a divorce settlement offer evaluation, I was able to secure an extra $43,000 for CLIENT B above what was originally proposed, thanks to a retirement account that wasn’t properly taken into account in the initial proposal.

CASE 4:

I advised both parties to adjust the settlement to pay off debt, saving both $30,000 in interest payments, and freeing up over $1,000 per month cash flow.

What Happens When You Decide To Get A Divorce Offer to Settle Evaluation

STAGE 1: Initial Consultation – 60-90mins

This can happen face-to-face or online and will see us get together to establish your priorities and assess your divorce settlement offer.

STAGE 2: Financial Analysis

I will go away and carry out a thorough review of your financial situation and a full analysis of your divorce settlement offer.

STAGE 3: Written Report

I’ll generate and send you a written report outlining the pros and cons of your divorce settlement offer, plus any other financial factors I feel you need to take into account.

STAGE 4: Final Consultation 60-90mins

This can happen in-person or online and will involve us reviewing the report and you asking me questions before we decide on the best way forward

Give yourself the best chance of getting a divorce settlement that has your best interests at heart. Reach out to me, Ken S. Maynard at Divorce the Smartway for a divorce settlement offer evaluation today.

Schedule Free 15 Minute Getting Acquainted Call

Conclusion

Getting divorced requires you to make many difficult decisions. But one of the best decisions you can make is to present an Offer to Settle (or respond properly to an Offer to Settle). What goes along with a good offer to settle is having your offer to settle evaluated by a financial expert.

This basically involves getting a second opinion about the financial terms of your divorce settlement from a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst who will be able to assess whether what you’re being offered is fair and in your best interests.

Would you like to learn more? Get in touch for a Get Acquainted Call to learn more about finding a separation agreement with a soft landing.

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Offer to Settle Definition

A proposal made by one party to the other, prior to the trial of an action, setting out the terms on which the party is prepared to settle. Offers to settle can save costs from continually going to trial if the settlement received now is immaterially different than a ruling from the judge that it would make the most financial sense to settle. In addition, a settlement is a sure thing once on paper and is in your full control and a court ruling is up to the judge’s perception and knowledge; and is considered as taking a risk awaiting that ruling.

Who gets what in a divorce settlement?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

In a divorce settlement, the distribution of assets and liabilities is determined based on various factors, including the length of the marriage, each party’s financial situation, contributions to the marriage, and future needs. Before seeking legal advice, consider consulting with a divorce mediator or a certified divorce financial analyst to explore fair and equitable solutions.

How do I know if a divorce settlement offer is any good?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

Assessing a divorce settlement offer requires understanding your financial needs, rights, and obligations. Before accepting any offer, it’s advisable to consult with a divorce mediator or a certified divorce financial analyst, who can provide an impartial assessment and ensure the offer aligns with your interests and legal entitlements.

What are the advantages of settling a divorce out of court?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

Settling a divorce out of court can save time, reduce conflict, and lower costs. It allows both parties to have more control over the outcome and promotes amicable resolutions. Before litigation, consider engaging a divorce mediator or certified divorce financial analyst to facilitate negotiations and reach a consensus.

How to get money from a divorce settlement?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

To ensure a fair financial outcome from a divorce settlement, understand your marital finances thoroughly. Engaging a divorce mediator or a certified divorce financial analyst can help you identify assets, assess their value, and negotiate effectively to secure an equitable share.

How does a divorce settlement work?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

A divorce settlement is a legally binding agreement that outlines the division of assets, debts, and other financial obligations. It often includes provisions for spousal and child support. Before finalizing any settlement, consult with a divorce mediator or a certified divorce financial analyst to ensure it is fair and comprehensive.

How to settle a divorce?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

Settling a divorce involves negotiating an agreement that addresses all aspects of the separation, including asset division, support, and child custody. A divorce mediator or certified divorce financial analyst can facilitate these discussions, helping to avoid court and reach a mutually acceptable resolution.

How do lawyers negotiate settlements?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

Lawyers negotiate settlements by advocating for their client’s best interests, using evidence and legal precedents. However, before involving attorneys, consider mediation with a divorce mediator or a certified divorce financial analyst to explore amicable and less adversarial solutions.

How long do you have to accept a settlement offer?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

The timeframe to accept a divorce settlement offer varies, but it’s crucial to make an informed decision. Before responding, consult with a divorce mediator or certified divorce financial analyst to evaluate the offer’s fairness and implications thoroughly.

How to get a fair divorce settlement?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

Achieving a fair divorce settlement requires a clear understanding of both parties’ financial situations and needs. Engage a divorce mediator or certified divorce financial analyst to facilitate equitable negotiations and ensure that the settlement reflects both parties’ contributions and future requirements.

Is it better to settle a divorce out of court?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

Yes, settling a divorce out of court can be beneficial, offering a less adversarial and more cost-effective resolution. It allows for personalized solutions and fosters cooperation. A divorce mediator or certified divorce financial analyst can assist in reaching a settlement that respects both parties’ interests.

To complete the evaluation, how long does it take?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

The time to complete the evaluation is determined based on my current caseload and the complexity of your case. Most evaluations can be finished inside two weeks

How much does a proposal evaluation cost?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

The cost of your proposal evaluation will be determined by the time it takes to complete the review. Evaluations start at $1500, which includes two 60-90 minute meetings and three hours for financial analysis and report writing. When you schedule your initial meeting, you will be billed $250 for your appointment. At the first meeting, you will be charged $1250, which covers 3 hours of analysis and report writing and your final session. Any additional time required is billed at $250/hour and is due at the last meeting.

Do you only work with people in Ontario?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

We work with people all over Canada to protect them from common financial mistakes. While divorce laws vary across Canada, we evaluate your proposal from a financial perspective, not from a legal perspective.

Are you a lawyer?Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

No, I am not a lawyer. I evaluate your proposal from a financial perspective. All advice and recommendations provided will be financial. I do not supply legal advice but would be glad to refer you to someone if you need legal advice.

About the Author:
Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM

I assist intelligent and successful couples in crafting rapid, custom separation agreements that pave the way for a smooth transition towards a secure future. This efficient process is achieved in about four meetings, effectively sidestepping the excessive conflicts, confusion, and costs commonly linked to legal proceedings. Clients have the flexibility to collaborate with me either via video conference or in-person through a DTSW associate at any of our six Greater Toronto mediation centers, located in Aurora, Barrie, North York, Vaughan, Mississauga, and Scarborough.

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Ken Maynard CDFA, Acc.FM