Personal Story
I went through a divorce about three years ago. I found myself consumed by emotion. I was sad, angry, disappointed, scared... you name it, I felt it. As the divorce dragged out I found myself saying yes to things I shouldn't have just to expedite the process. I wanted the whole thing to be over. I didn't want to deal with it anymore…I was tired and didn't want to hurt anymore.
In retrospect, I saw how unfair the settlement was. I ended up with more of the joint debt and depreciating assets while he ended up with less joint debt and more of the appreciating assets. How could I not have seen that then? I started to wonder…Was I the only one who ended up in this situation?
As I talked to more and more people, I found that I wasn't alone. Many people going through divorce are unable to look past what is happening in the moment in order to focus on the long-term implications of the decisions that have to be made. Instead of looking out for our own best interests, we try to make the process as painless as possible, even if that means sacrificing more than we should.
But this is a time more than any other that we have to look out for ourselves and our families. We have to enlist the help of others if we can't do it ourselves. I leaned on my friends and family for emotional support, my lawyer for legal support, but no one for financial advice. Divorce is not only an emotional, legal separation, but it is a financial separation as well.
We all need as many people in our corner as possible when going through difficult situations. I want to help those who are having a hard time focusing on the future, as I did during that time. I now use my experience as a financial advisor to help people going through divorce make tough financial decisions based on their best interests.
I made it through my divorce and you will get through this, too. Let's just make sure you get through it on solid financial standing.