In addition to my role as a Collaborative Practice Neutral Financial Professional, I work with couples and individuals directly. As a Chartered Financial Divorce Specialist and Chartered Professional Accountant, I am uniquely qualified and experienced to assist individuals or couples to prepare for other separation processes outside of Collaborative Practice, such as DIY or , mediation, or those preparing domestic contracts. I can assist one or both spouses in several ways:

  1. If not already done, help clients understand the various process options available for separation in Ontario.
  2. Make referrals to experienced family professionals for the development of tailored parenting plans.
  3. Facilitate helping clients identify their financial needs, concerns, and goals.
  4. Neutrally assist one spouse to prepare their financial disclosure documents.
  5. Neutrally assist both spouses to prepare a joint NFP and their income disclosures. Any areas of continued disagreement would be noted for your resolution.
  6. Liaise with the specialized skills of actuaries, business appraisers or forensic accountants to help in areas of pension values, business values or discovery of hidden assets as necessary.
  7. In highly complex situations, seek the professional assistance of specialized tax advisors.
  8. Calculate child support and ranges of spousal support using Divorcemate as applicable.
  9. Calculate the proportionate share of income for use in Section 7 expense sharing.
  10. Assist the spouses in detangling financially:
  • Separate their debts, cards, accounts and transactions on a go-forward basis; and
  • Review comingled transactions since separation, reconcile and report on an adjustment to date; and
  • With input from the facts encountered, draft for review and approval by your lawyer the terms of an interim financial agreement for the shared expenses and interim support if any for use until the separation agreement is finalized. Such an interim agreement eases a lot of stress through the settlement process.
  1. If one or both spouses feel they are at a knowledge disadvantage, assist one or both spouses to better understand their family financial situations and implications which improves their financial decision-making and confidence when it comes to settlement discussions.
  2. Help develop settlement options, and help clients understand the implications of each. This helps level the playing field if one person is less informed or knowledgeable of the family’s financial situation.
  3. Using AFDS proprietary software, prepare long-term cash-flow and net-wealth forecast analysis of proposed financial solutions, including illustrating potential long-term consequences, to assess solution durability.  All assumptions will be reviewed in advance and documented.
  4. Any other financial detail work requested by the legal team or the clients, except the preparation and filing of income tax returns.

Following the execution of a separation or settlement agreement, FairFifty may be retained for some or all the following services:

  • Assist either or both clients in the implementation of their settlement agreement such as transferring the title of various assets or financial holdings in accordance with the agreement;
  • May be separately retained to perform annual recalculations of proportionate sharing of expenses, or spousal or child support payment amounts, as may be required and set out in the settlement agreement;
  • The settlement agreement may provide that the Financial Professional may act as a mediator in expense-sharing disputes which may arise post-agreement; and/or
  • May also assist either client in developing working effective budgets for their new reality.

All fees are on an hourly basis and are normally shared 50/50 between the spouses. A retainer is required in advance of services.

I am available to discuss any financial matter or issue related to relationship breakdown or domestic contracts.

WHAT I DO NOT PROVIDE

  • I am not a licensed Business Valuator or Actuary. When needed and agreed to, I will engage or refer as necessary for these or other unique services at their much higher billing rates.
  • I am not a lawyer and cannot provide legal advice. 
  • I am not a family, emotional or relationship coach and cannot assist you in those matters. 
  • While I am a CPA, I am not licensed to provide the traditional Public Accounting services of a CPA and will not prepare client tax returns.
  • I do not sell any financial, investment, insurance, or similar advice or products, nor am I affiliated with or compensated by any such provider.