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When most people think about hiring a professional for their divorce, they think about retaining a lawyer. While most people should be represented by an attorney in their divorce, an attorney may not be the only professional needed to achieve the best possible outcome. Think of the attorney as a general contractor—only instead of a house, your divorce attorney is helping you construct your post-divorce future.
A general contractor knows a lot about building a structure, including when it is necessary to have a specialist, like a plumber or electrician, involved. Likewise, your divorce attorney understands not only the legal aspects of divorce but the financial, emotional, and business implications. An experienced attorney, like an experienced general contractor, knows when experts with special skills are needed and knows the good experts.
Not every divorce requires experts. But the more complicated a divorce is, either because of difficult personalities, conflict over parenting, or complex assets, the more likely an expert will be useful in reaching a favorable resolution.
Experts can serve a variety of roles in a divorce. They can provide the divorcing spouses with objective information about an issue or asset to help them reach a reasonable settlement. When a dispute can’t be settled, the expert may be called to provide a report or to testify at trial. An expert’s testimony, rooted in their professional experience, is often more persuasive to a court than the obviously less-objective testimony of one of the divorcing spouses.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the testimony of an expert can make the difference in the ruling on a disputed issue. Therefore, the decision to retain experts for your divorce team should be viewed as an investment in the outcome of your divorce.
The experts you will need on your divorce team will depend on the issues in dispute. Some of the experts your attorney may recommend include the following:
A CPA can help clarify your current financial situation: what assets you own, how much debt you have, and each spouse’s income. A CPA may be essential if one spouse is self-employed or has irregular income, such as income from commissions.
A forensic accountant may be called for if your financial situation is especially complex, particularly if there is a concern that one spouse is concealing assets. The difference between a CPA and a forensic accountant is that a forensic accountant serves an investigative function, while a CPA organizes and compiles the information presented to them.
While accountants may help you see your financial picture as it exists, a financial planner can help you understand what resources you will need in the future. A financial planner can help you budget accurately for your post-divorce needs so that you can confidently agree to a financial settlement in your divorce.
A business owned by one or both spouses may be one of the most valuable marital assets. In addition to being an asset, it is a source of the family’s income. The value of a business can be difficult to ascertain, and given the importance of the business to the family’s financial situation, estimating the value of the business for divorce purposes is unwise; a business valuation expert’s services are essential.
Real estate is often one of the largest assets a couple owns together. Certified divorce real estate experts are real estate agents who are trained in issues that arise during divorce and can help couples prevent or resolve conflicts that arise around real estate.
An appraiser’s services may be needed to determine the value of high value assets ranging from real estate to art, jewelry, antiques, classic cars, and unique collectibles.
A vocational evaluator is equipped to determine a spouse’s vocational skills and how likely it is that they will be able to be self-supporting, given their education, experience, training, and the current job market. If one spouse claims they need alimony to get by financially, and the other spouse believes they are capable of finding work adequate to support them, a vocational evaluator’s help may be appropriate.
A forensic child custody evaluator is a mental health professional who speaks with children, parents, and other adults in the child’s life in order to prepare a report with child custody recommendations for the court’s review. A child custody evaluator may also review various records, including court, medical, and school records in the process of formulating recommendations.
Divorce is emotionally and mentally draining. A licensed mental health professional can help you deal with the stress of divorce, develop insights into how your own behavior might have contributed to your marital problems, and how to make changes that will allow you to have healthier relationships moving forward. Counseling can also help your children adjust better to your divorce. Therapists and counselors are generally not called as witnesses in court in your divorce.
A divorce coach is usually a licensed mental health professional. Unlike a therapist, a divorce coach’s help is more targeted to help you overcome barriers to resolving your divorce rather than providing general mental health care. Divorce coaches are often used in Collaborative divorce situations.
Children’s needs and wishes often get lost in the chaos of their parents’ divorce. A child specialist is retained by the parents to speak for the children in the divorce. Like a divorce coach, a child specialist is often used in Collaborative divorce to help divorcing parents reach a settlement that takes into account their children’s needs.
An experienced divorce attorney can help you identify which of these types of experts is worth consulting during your divorce case. Your attorney may also recommend that you work with other professionals, such as an estate planner, to help prepare for life after divorce.
Your divorce team consists of more than just you, your attorney, and any professionals and experts with whom you choose to work. You should also make sure you have an informal support system in place, including supportive family and friends.
You may also want to find a divorce support group. A support group can be an invaluable source of connection with people who are going through something similar to you; it is a place in which you can both receive and offer help. Many people remain close to people in their divorce support group long after their divorces are over.
If your informal support system is not as robust as you would like, it may be even more important to work with a counselor or therapist. Divorce is difficult, even under the best of circumstances, and you need support to help you make the best decisions for your family and future.
To learn more about professionals and experts who might be involved in your divorce process, contact Strickler, Platnick & Hatfield to schedule a consultation.
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