Divorce Financial Analysis

Divorce isn't easy but it can be financially fair.  Paul T. Murray, Associate Vice President-Investments,  is one of the few Certified Divorce Financial Analysts™ practicing in the Mid Atlantic Region who is also a Chartered Financial Consultant.  He has many years of experience in the financial services industry, including extensive knowledge in the complex financial issues affecting clients in the midst of a divorce (see his complete biographical profile in "The Advisors").  

According to the American Bar Association and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the participation of a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ during the divorce process can greatly enhance the strength of your case (see www.institutedfa.com). While Mr. Murray wades through the financial paperwork, the attorney's time can be better spent focusing on the legal issues, drafting petitions and preparing arguments for trial.


Mr. Murray's work as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™, is greatly enhanced by the addition of the newest member of our team, Leslie A. Margolies, a former family law attorney.*  We work directly with the divorce attorney to support their case, and they often view us as collaborative members of their team.  Ultimately, we are here to lend support with case preparation.  For example, we can help organize financial documentation and prepare a Net Worth Statement complete with exhibits.  We can also perform a Lifestyle Analysis and create a spending plan so that you will understand how you will live independently after the divorce is finalized. 

Other functions we can perform are much more analytical.  We document the cost basis of marital assets and analyze the tax consequences of selling each asset.*  We can review and analyze different retirement and pension plans and advise as to terms and features.  We can compare and contrast various settlement proposals offered by opposing counsel and evaluate the long-term impact of each settlement proposal on future financial well-being.  We can also provide powerful exhibits and visual aids including easy-to-read graphs and charts, which attorneys can use for both negotiation with opposing counsel and during Master's hearings and trial.

Summary of our Consulting Services

All divorce financial analysis services are 100% complementary** including:

  • Compile and Organize Financial Data
  • Perform Lifestyle Analysis & Future Spending Plan
  • Prepare Net Worth Statement
  • Analysis of Marital Assets & Cost Basis
  • Analysis of Retirement & Pension Plans
  • Analysis of Complex Financial Issues and Potential Tax Implications 
  • Financial Research and Creative Settlement Strategies
  • Analysis of Long-Term Implications of Property Settlement Proposals
  • Reduces Attorney Time Spent on Financial Paperwork
  • Eases Client Anxieties About their Future Finances
  • Assists in Case Preparation with Powerful Case Exhibits
  • Facilitates Property Settlement Agreement
  • Free booklets - "Divorce & Your Finances" 

Once the divorce is finalized, our team is available to continue to serve as personal financial advisors.  We can open new accounts and arrange for the transfer of assets after equitable distribution and a Qualified Domestic Relations Order.  We can complete a comprehensive investment plan which is designed to help envision a newly independent life.   We can manage investment portfolios and offer guidance to make more informed choices on the road to achieve full financial independence. 

If you are thinking about divorce, or are already going through this difficult process, please call us for a consultation.  If you have already arrived at an equitable settlement, it's never too late to develop a financial strategy for your future.  By working with the Quigley & Murray Group, we believe you can increase your chances of arriving at a settlement that fully addresses your long-term financial needs, so you're much closer to a better tomorrow!

Contact our team to schedule a consultation.  
 

*Wachovia Securities does not render legal or tax advice. Be sure to consult with your own tax and legal advisors before taking any action that may have tax consequences.

**No fee is charged for divorce financial analysis or our time in meeting and preparing data and reports for your divorce.  Divorcing individuals who become clients of the Quigley & Murray Group of Wachovia Securities will arrive at an investment management fee structure that suits them and their investment approach.