Divorce Resolution Planning™: Arlene's Story

Arlene (name disguised) was referred to Sigman Financial Fitness^® through a divorce attorney. Arlene and her husband filed for divorce nine months prior to our meeting and were making very little progress. Arlene was a successful business owner and was married for 15 years with a 12–year old child. She was the primary wage earner for the family and the couple had accumulated many stock portfolios and valuable real estate assets, including the marital home, several vacation homes, and rental properties. Her husband was a retired real estate and stock market investor.

Because Arlene had delegated the financial management of her affairs to her husband over the course of their relationship, she needed help evaluating various divorce settlements and creating a financial plan for her life post–divorce. When we started working with Arlene, she went to court for Temporary Orders. The tedious and expensive court proceedings derailed Arlene and her husband's plans to continue their battle in court. Both parties realized that a mediated settlement would be more productive.

Divorce Resolution Planning™: Sigman Financial Fitness^® Role

Working closely with Arlene's attorney and an experienced mediator who was a retired Family Court judge, I met with Arlene's husband and negotiated a financial settlement on Arlene's behalf. The outcome avoided further court dates and saved what could have been well over $75,000 in attorney, appraisals, and expert witness fees; and a lot of everyone's time. By allowing me to participate in mediating their divorce, Arlene and her husband were able to move on with their lives in a constructive manner far sooner than if they had continued to work their way through the court system.

Now that the divorce is finalized, I continue to work with Arlene on making important financial decisions and executing financial tasks such as: