Kelly became certified as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) in 2009 after her own divorce. Since then, she has been working with couples and along-side attorneys to develop durable financial settlements outside of the courtroom.

In a Collaborative Law divorce, you engage a team to assist you and your spouse navigate the divorce process. The team consists of your collaboratively-trained attorneys, a financial neutral (CDFA) and a mental health professional/divorce coach.

With guidance from your team, you and your spouse work collaboratively and creatively to develop financial and co-parenting agreements that work best for you and your family. This is an interests-based, structured approach designed to pragmatically meet the needs of the individuals and family with compassion, integrity and transparency.

For those who wish to minimize the use of professionals, but cannot quite develop a financial settlement on their own, mediation can be a suitable alternative. As a skilled mediator and financial expert, Kelly has helped many couples create durable financial settlements in their divorces. In mediation cases, clients should always consult with an attorney before finalizing any agreement.

Services include:

• Property Division: We summarize a couple’s assets and liabilities to help determine a fair and equitable division of communal property.
• Post Separation Budgets: We work with you to develop budgets for your post-divorce life.
• Financial Separation: We help you and your spouse determine how to best untangle your financial life.
• Scenario Development and Net Worth Projections:  We help you assess various financial settlement options – including property division, income sharing, spousal support and child support  – and illustrate the impact on future net worth of both parties.

Beresford Booth attorney Lisa H. Do and special guest Kelly Deis, CVA, CDFA, CEPA of Soundpoint Consulting LLC discuss the role of a financial specialist in a collaborative divorce:

Hear what Kelly has to say on the King County Collaborative Law podcast: www.buzzsprout.com/1900537/11101831 or listen on Apple Podcasts.

More information about Collaborative Law can be found at these websites: 

• King County Collaborative Law | Find a Divorce Professional
• Independent Professionals Collaborating in Law, Mental Health & Finance (collaborativeprofessionalsofwashington.org)
•  IACP | Collaborative law, collaborative practice, collaborative divorce