What you really need is a divorce finance expert

Best divorce advice
Getting the best advice from an Independent Financial Adviser is vital in helping you navigate the financial perils of divorce.   The financial settlement takes the most time and can be the biggest element in your solicitor's bill.   The negotiations are all about the numbers so it can become the most stressful and challenging part of the divorce process.   So often each party is trying to gain the upper hand, to win the point and feel vindicated by getting a bigger share of the family pot.

The right financial advice during divorce
To navigate your way through this you need an Independent Financial Adviser who has the knowledge and experience to give the best possible financial advice .   They are not tied to any financial institutions and will work solely on your behalf.   Good advice will help you ensure that your life after divorce is in the best financial shape.

What can an Independent Financial Adviser do for you during a divorce?
It is vitally important that impartial divorce financial advice is sought as soon as possible.   Most solicitors can only advise up to a point, they are not experts in financial advice.   From then on you are either on your own (which is scary) or you need the services of a financial adviser.   Independent Financial Advisers are best as they can offer solutions that are best suited to your needs choosing from the whole marketplace.

Your Home & Mortgages
Your home may have to be sold, or you may need to raise money against the value of your home via a mortgage.   If you already have a mortgage secured on your home, the mortgage may have to be increased, and/or moved to a new home.   Getting the best deals in the marketplace could make a significant difference to the outcome of these arrangements.

Pensions
Pensions may have to be shared out under Court orders.   Pension sharing is complex and can make a long term difference to your financial wellbeing, so expert advice should be sought.   If you are giving up/receiving pension funds via a court order, correct advice ensures that any transfers proceed as smoothly and problem free as possible.

Life Assurance
Change in circumstance always necessitates a review of protection arrangements.   Ensure that payouts from life policies and other protection arrangements go to the right people at the right time.   It's so easy to overlook some vital details and what you in...

Get the best price on the best divorce financial advice

When you go to a lawyer or accountant for advice about your divorce you will get a bill based on the length of time they spend with you.  Advice from an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) can be paid for in two different ways, 

Fee or commission, get the best divorce advice and the best value
If you seek advice about your divorce finances from an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) it is quite likely they will receive their remuneration in the form of a commission payment from the provider of the product they recommend to you.   Under those circumstances it would appear that the IFA's advice comes with no charge.

There is another way to pay for your IFA's time and talent and that is a fee based system just like lawyers and accountants.   This payment is for a defined amount of time/advice set against your specific investment objectives.   IFA hourly rates are usually a great deal less than lawyers or accountants and often return a great deal more real value than their more expensive brethren.

Reconciling fees and commission
However, who would pay an adviser for the time it takes to prepare a recommendation when his rival round the corner is offering the same product and appears not to charge anything.

The only way this makes any sense is for the commission received by the IFA to be returned to you and offset against the fee they charge.   That way the cost of the advice is pretty much the same whichever way you pay for it.   The advantage of this method of payment is the IFA will not be tempted to recommend a product with a higher commission rather than one which more effectively meets your needs.  

Agree the payment method before the work begins
It is absolutely key that you discuss with the IFA the method of payment they propose for their advice.   The fee based system will give you peace of mind that you know the costs involved right from the start and that the advice you receive will not be in any way affected by the IFA's need to sell you a particular product or indeed any product at all.

Get your first meeting free
Most IFAs will make the first meeting free.   If they don't offer the first meeting free then ask for it.   There is nothing wrong in getting the best from your IFA , after all it's your money and your future.

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How to get the best from your divorce settlement

The current world recession is likely to be even worse for divorced people than for the rest of the population.   Most divorcees find themselves in a challenging (that is to say, at times, bloody difficult) position.

Invest wisely
The divorce settlement often results in a cash lump sum or other assets such as stocks, bonds or property, usually the family home.   These need to be used and invested wisely, whether you are 25 or 55 your financial future is of paramount importance.   To navigate your way through the unfamiliar and ever changing financial landscape you need a guide and adviser; you need an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) to give you impartial, professional advice.  

The decisions you will need to make are best made with the benefit of top quality advice from a professional .   Far too many take the easy option and ensure that any such funds are invested within their own personal comfort zone. This usually means the building society or National Savings - investments which are safe, predictable and readily accessible.

High inflation might just return
These days the erosion of the value of your capital through high inflation is not a problem.   However, this situation will not last forever and given half a chance I'm sure our global banking friends could arrange its return if they thought they could make a profit out of it.

While it is sensible to keep a proportion of any capital sum in interest bearing accounts, if you need to derive an income from your money and still give your capital a chance of keeping pace with inflation, it is imperative that you take independent financial advice from an IFA.

Professional, impartial advice
He or she will sit down with you to understand your current financial position and only after that assess needs with regard to risk as well as potential reward. IFAs are highly regulated with a strict set of rules and code of conduct.   Usually the first meeting is at no charge.   They are not salespeople but advisers who have a duty to look after your best interests.   They will even do most of the paperwork so it's even easier for you.

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