Table of Contents
Introduction1
Chapter 1 Do You Want or Need a Divorce?3
| Reasons for Divorce | 3 |
| How to Decide | 4 |
| Ups and Downs | 4 |
| Things to Consider | 4 |
| A Marriage and Family Therapy | 6 |
| Individual Therapy | 7 |
| Domestic Violence | 7 |
| Telling Your Spouse | 8 |
| Trial Separation | 9 |
| Understanding What Divorce Really Means | 9 |
| The Effects of Divorce | 11 |
| The Costs of Divorce | 12 |
| A Divorce versus Separation | 13 |
| Divorce versus Annulment | 14 |
| Divorce and Common Law Marriage | 16 |
| If You Do Not Want a Divorce | 18 |
Chapter 2 Legal Separation19
| Legal versus Non-Legal Separation | 19 |
| How to Get a Legal Separation | 20 |
| Reasons for a Legal Separation | 21 |
| The Separation Agreement | 21 |
| What a Legal Separation Means | 22 |
| How to Live Under a Separation Agreement | 23 |
| Separation as a Prelude to No-Fault Divorce | 24 |
| Undoing a Separation | 26 |
Chapter 3 Family Court27
| Family Court Basics | 27 |
| How Family Court Can Help You | 27 |
| Family Court Versus Divorce Court | 27 |
| How to Access Family Court | 28 |
| Preparing Family Court Documents | 28 |
| Family Court Hearings | 28 |
| What Family Court Cannot Do For You | 29 |
Chapter 4 First Steps in a Divorce30
| Protect Yourself and Your Children | 30 |
| Talk to Your Children | 31 |
| Tell the Important People in Your Life | 32 |
| Protect Your Assets | 33 |
| Control Your Spending | 35 |
| Monthly Budget | 36 |
| Household | 36 |
| Personal | 37 |
| Financial Matters | 37 |
| Transportation Expenses | 38 |
| Entertainment | 38 |
| Gifts | 39 |
| School | 39 |
| Other | 39 |
| The Marital Residence | 40 |
| How to Find an Attorney | 40 |
| How to Evaluate an Attorney | 41 |
| How to Afford an Attorney | 42 |
| How to Handle a Divorce Yourself | 42 |
| Deciding What Type of Divorce You Want | 43 |
| How to Begin the Divorce Process | 44 |
| State Residency Requirements | 45 |
Chapter 5 The Divorce Court Process48
| Understanding How Courts Work | 48 |
| Understanding the Roles of All the Players | 48 |
| How to Approach Your Divorce Case | 49 |
| Grounds | 49 |
| Covenant Marriage | 53 |
| Service of Process | 53 |
| How to Respond | 54 |
| Forms and Fees | 54 |
| Procedures | 55 |
| How to Streamline the Process | 56 |
| How to Behave in Court and at Trial | 56 |
| Trial Procedures | 57 |
| Name Changes | 58 |
| Removal of Barriers to Remarriage | 58 |
Chapter 6 Divorce Mediation59
| How Mediation Works | 59 |
| How to Decide If Mediation Can Work for You | 60 |
| Benefits of Mediation | 61 |
| Drawbacks of Mediation | 62 |
| Costs | 64 |
| Mediator Qualifications | 64 |
| How to Find a Mediator | 65 |
| Why You Need an Attorney as Well | 65 |
| Other Professionals and Mediation | 66 |
| Court-Ordered Mediation | 66 |
| Preparing for Mediation | 67 |
| Moving Mediation Along | 72 |
| The End Result of Mediation | 72 |
| What to Do if Mediation Is Not Successful | 73 |
Chapter 7 Other Alternatives to Divorce Trials74
| Arbitration | 74 |
| Collaborative Law | 75 |
| Co-Mediation | 76 |
| Shuttle Mediation | 76 |
| Attorney-Assisted Mediation | 77 |
| Long-Distance Mediation | 77 |
| Negotiating on Your Own | 77 |
Chapter 8 Children and Divorce79
| Helping Your Children through the Initial Separation | 79 |
| Types of Custody | 79 |
| How Custody is Determined | 80 |
| Siblings | 81 |
| Supervised Visitation | 81 |
| Parenting Classes | 81 |
| Co-Parenting | 81 |
| Deciding Where Your Children Will Live | 82 |
| How to Create a Parenting Plan | 82 |
| UCCJEA | 85 |
| Grandparent Rights | 85 |
| Relocation | 86 |
| How to Deal with the Other Parent | 86 |
| Uncooperative Parents | 87 |
| Helping Your Children Cope with Parental Conflict | 88 |
| What to Do When You Can't Agree About the Parenting Plan | 89 |
| How to Prepare for a Custody Trial | 89 |
| Working with the Law Guardian, Attorney for the Child or Guardian ad litem | 90 |
| Helping Kids Cope after a Divorce | 91 |
| Cooperating and Coordinating with the Other Parent | 92 |
| Functioning as a Single Parent | 92 |
| Embryos | 92 |
Chapter 9 Dividing Your Assets and Debts94
| How to Think about Property Division | 94 |
| Marital versus Separate Assets | 95 |
| Your State Laws about Dividing Property | 96 |
| Prenuptial Agreements | 97 |
| Finding Property | 97 |
| Valuing Property | 98 |
| Special Considerations | 98 |
| How to Divide Household and Personal Goods | 99 |
| Real Estate | 99 |
| Businesses | 101 |
| Social Security and Pensions | 102 |
| Investments | 103 |
| Pets | 103 |
| Debt | 103 |
| Non-Concrete Assets | 104 |
| Tax Consequences | 105 |
| Dividing Your Property Yourselves | 106 |
| The Sneaky Spouse | 106 |
| Preparing for a Trial about Property | 107 |
Chapter 10 Child Support108
| How Child Support Is Calculated | 108 |
| Duration of Support | 111 |
| Other Expenses that Can Be Court-Ordered | 111 |
| How Child Support Is Paid | 112 |
| State Child Support Enforcement Agencies | 113 |
| The Purpose of Child Support | 114 |
| Negotiating Child Support | 115 |
| Bankruptcy Implications | 116 |
| Tax Implications | 116 |
| Filing as Head of Household | 117 |
| Preparing for a Child Support Hearing | 117 |
| Modifying Child Support | 117 |
| The High Costs of Not Paying Child Support | 118 |
Chapter 11 Spousal Support119
| How Alimony Is Calculated | 119 |
| Duration of Support | 120 |
| How Spousal Support Is Paid | 121 |
| Modifying Alimony | 121 |
| Life Insurance | 122 |
| Health Insurance | 122 |
| Tax and Bankruptcy Implications | 123 |
Chapter 12 Emotional and Practical Implications of Divorce124
| Dealing with Friends | 124 |
| Dealing with Family | 125 |
| Asking for What You Need | 126 |
| Living Alone | 126 |
| Managing on One Income | 128 |
| Waiting through the Long Divorce Process | 130 |
| Self-Esteem | 131 |
| Depression | 131 |
| Anger | 131 |
| Grief | 132 |
| Being Responsible for Yourself and Your Children | 132 |
| Working after Divorce | 132 |
Chapter 13 After the Divorce134
| Finalization of the Divorce | 134 |
| Your Right to Appeal | 134 |
| How to Deal with Your Emotions | 134 |
| Helping Your Children Adjust | 135 |
| Putting Yourself Back Together Financially | 135 |
| Completing Paperwork to Comply with Court Orders | 136 |
| Administrative Changes to Protect Yourself | 136 |
| Gathering Documents | 137 |
| Name Change, Revisited | 138 |
| Taxes | 139 |
| Rewriting Important Documents | 140 |
| Obtaining a Religious Annulment | 140 |
| Enforcing Child Support | 140 |
| Enforcing Alimony and Property Division | 141 |
| Enforcing Other Orders | 141 |
| Making Changes to the Parenting Plan | 141 |
| Moving Past Your Divorce | 142 |
| Planning for Your Future | 143 |
Appendix A: Resources144
| Books | 144 |
| Websites and Organizations | 145 |
| Professional Services & Legal | 145 |
| Family Law & Divorce Resources | 145 |
| Child Support & Parenting | 146 |
| Military Resources | 146 |
| Mediation & Collaborative Law | 146 |
| Health, Credit & Safety | 147 |
| Therapy & Support | 147 |
| Records & Taxes | 147 |
| Valuation Tools | 148 |
| State Bar Associations | 148 |
| State Court Web Sites | 150 |
| State and Local Mediation Associations | 151 |
| State Collaborative Law Associations | 155 |
Appendix B: Sample Forms157
Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions197
| Alimony | 197 |
| Annulment | 197 |
| Appeals | 198 |
| Assets | 198 |
| Attorneys | 200 |
| Child Support | 201 |
| Children | 203 |
| Counseling | 205 |
| Debts | 206 |
| Grounds | 206 |
| Household Expenses | 206 |
| Jurisdiction | 206 |
| Other | 207 |
| Procedure | 207 |
| Separation | 208 |
Index210
Course Details
Author: Brette Sember, J.D.
Brette Sember B.A., J.D., is an editor, author, freelancer, ghostwriter, book coach, content expert, and consultant with 25+ years of experience.
As a former lawyer, Brette specializes in branded legal content for legal information sites, online legal services, legal marketing agencies, and law firms.
She is experienced in editing and enhancing AI-generated content.
In her career she has created and edited content on a wide variety of topics including law, food, travel, health, travel shopping, parenting, divorce, business, books, lifestyle, pregnancy, education, learning skills, women’s and family issues, finance, writing, children’s books, senior issues, entertainment, and more. She has been published in hundreds of magazines and websites including LegalZoom, FindLaw, Forbes Advisor, NextAvenue, Investopedia, American Baby, ePregnancy, Divorce Magazine, Fit Pregnancy, Healthy Women, Paste Magazine, The Mid, Pregnancy, Writer’s Digest, Zester, Salon, Money Geek, Hello Giggles, Avvo Stories, Willing, Mental Floss, and many, many more.
She is an expert for Divorce.com and WomansDivorce.com. She is a contributor for travel sites GoGirlfriend.com and MyItchyTravelFeet.com. She was a columnist for four different regional parenting magazines and was a staff writer for several web sites. She was a legal editor for Forbes Advisor. Brette’s personal essays have appeared on Woman’s Day, Scary Mommy, Purple Clover, and more. She also frequently writes humor lists.
In addition to writing content for specific sites, Brette has worked with agencies such as Marcus Thomas, Elite Lawyer Management, Virtuoso Content, Trellis Marketing, and The Rainmaker Institute to produce custom content for a variety of clients in a variety of industries.
Publication/Revision Date: 2/13/2026
Course Exam Questions (online): 35 (multiple-choice)
Program Delivery Method: Self-Study
Available Formats of Course Text: Downloadable PDF, Printed/Mailed
Course Level, Prerequisites, and Advance Preparation Requirements
| License | Course Level | Prerequisites | Advance Preparation Requirements |
|---|
| CFP® | Overview | None | None |
| CDFA® | Overview | None | None |
* This program is appropriate for professionals at all organizational levels.
Sponsor ID Numbers
CFP Board Sponsor I.D.: 1008 — Course I.D.: 257128
Registered with the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts
Learning Objectives
As a result of studying the course material, you should be able to meet the objectives listed below:
- Chapter 1 Understand the considerations for seeking a divorce
- Chapter 2 Define legal separation
- Chapter 3 Cite the basic aspects of family court
- Chapter 4 List the first steps in a divorce
- Chapter 5 Understand the divorce court process
- Chapter 6 Define divorce mediation
- Chapter 7 Differentiate between the alternatives to divorce trials
- Chapter 8 Understand the issues relating to children and divorce
- Chapter 9 Recognize how assets and debts are divided in a divorce
- Chapter 10 List the key components of child support
- Chapter 11 List the key components of spousal support
- Chapter 12 Understand the emotional and practical implications of divorce
- Chapter 13 Recognize the activities that occur after the divorce
