Note that divorce information given in this section cannot take the place of independent legal or financial divorce advice. Please read our disclaimer.

"I am thinking of getting a divorce. What is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst?"

A CDFA, or Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, is a financial professional with specific training in divorce-related issues. Many times, this person is also either a Certified Financial Planner or a Certified Public Accountant. These people have a strong background in investment securities, taxes, and other areas on which your attorney generally won't have the information.

What CDFAs do is actual investment planning, cash-flow planning, and tax planning to give you an analysis you can look at yourself, so you can make decisions based upon the relevant facts instead of on an emotional basis. In essence, CDFAs give you a track to run on so you can look at different alternatives: should you keep the home, sell the home, sell the business, etc.?

Paul J. Toohey is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP^®) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA^™). He is a member of Collaborative Divorce Solutions, a Collaborative Divorce Group located in Orange County, CA. His financial services can be reached at (714) 998-8200. View his Divorce Magazine profile.