Money
The process of divorce or separation forces you to make big financial decisions at a time of intense emotional upheaval. There is an urgent need for clarity, understanding and clear planning to ensure those decisions are made well, as they could have a big impact on your future.
The financial side of divorce can be a daunting process, especially as many of us struggle to understand where our money goes at the best of times.
There may be financial issues – such as pensions, investments, debts or a family business – that you have never really understood, and now decisions need to be made about how to share these.
Even apparently straightforward questions, such as ‘how much do you need to live on?’ are complex when on the cusp of a big life change.
Financial Coaching for added support
Financial Coaching provides support and guidance in understanding money, and so can be particularly helpful for navigating the financial aspects of divorce and facilitating discussions between couples.
It empowers you to make your financial decisions with more confidence, using conversation and education. Note that Financial Coaching does not constitute financial or legal advice.
How we can help
- Form E, spending plans and divorce – We can help you as an individual or you as a couple prepare for the legal process by gathering together a full and complete breakdown of the relevant financial information and suggesting practical steps to help you develop spending plans that reflect both current and anticipated future income and expenses.
- We can work individually with the one who feels disempowered. Often one person in a couple has dealt with the finances and so the other may struggle to understand the implications of financial decisions, or even be unsure what their lifestyle currently costs, and be ill-equipped to plan their future. There can also be power imbalances in a relationship, which makes one person feel unable to communicate their needs in a mediation process without additional support. Financial coaching can bring clarity and empowerment and help the legal process run more smoothly.
- Our attitudes and beliefs about money impact on how we think about money, for example if your family message was “money doesn’t grow on trees” you may be more cautious and worried about how you may survive post-divorce.
- We can work with you individually or together, to understand the reality of the financial situation, assess what you have and what you need to go forward. Using spreadsheets and cash flow forecasts, we can model different outcomes, helping you evaluate which options could be viable and exploring the financial implications of different possibilities.
- We can work inside the legal process, as part of an interdisciplinary collaborative approach. Financial Coaching can be used in different combinations with mediators, family consultants or lawyers to facilitate discussions about the finances.
Kim has a background in Banking and finance and has been trained as a Financial Coach by Wise Monkey Financial Coaching.
Please note, Kim is not a Lawyer, Mediator or Financial Advisor. She does not offer advice on legal decisions or financial settlements. What she can offer as a Financial Coach is complementary to, not instead of, other professional roles in the divorce process.
What you can do next
- Get started with this free Spending Plan worksheet, designed for separation and divorce
- Read our blog series on the practical and emotional sides to finances in divorce
To find out if Financial Coaching is the support you need, do please contact Kim Crewe for a no obligations call to discuss how we may be able to help you.
By email: kim@separationoptions.co.uk
Call: 07711 102461
” I was really scared about doing the Form E, my husband had always managed the finances, every time I looked at it I felt anxious and I couldn’t think. Kim helped me break it down into manageable chunks, she explained what each section meant and now I have done it I feel very proud of myself.”