Divorce Rich with Jacki Roessler, CDFA

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The fastest way to lose money in divorce is to negotiate based on what you assume is true. We just got back from a national conference of Certified Divorce Financial Analysts, and I’m sharing four takeaways that can help you protect your cash flow, your credit, and your long-term plan before you sign anything. If you’re deciding whether to keep the house, split retirement accounts, or claim separate property, this conversation is designed to give you practical next steps, not vague reassurance. 

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One of the most frustrating divorce moments is looking at your settlement and thinking, “How am I the higher earner and still the one who feels broke?” We get it, and we see it all the time. Jacki Roessler sits down with Nick Defenthaler, CFP and partner at the Center for Financial Planning, to map out the top financial mistakes men make in divorce and the simple blind spots that can wreck cash flow, trigger tax surprises, or send money to the wrong person years later.

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The moment the decree is signed, real life begins. We walk through the first months of financial independence after a divorce and show how small, steady actions create relief fast. Our guest, Angela Cipriano, a financial coach who rebuilt her own life post-divorce, explains how to move from overwhelm to ownership with checklists, simple systems, and a mindset that actually sticks.

We start by demystifying the roles: a financial coach handles what most advisors skip—beneficiary updates, utility transfers, passwords, bill flow, and day-to-day budgeting—so you can arrive at your plan...

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We’re joined by Dave Roessler, owner of Divorce Solutions and one of Michigan’s go-to QDRO drafting experts, to unpack the real-world problems he sees each year. We talk about timing mistakes and the language landmines that trigger rejections and unexpected dollar amounts.  We also get specific about loan balances and why “include the loan” can mean the opposite of what you think. Then we move into pension division, survivor benefits, and what can happen if the participant dies or retires before the QDRO is entered. The theme is clear: QDRO drafting is precis...

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Unlock the secrets to regaining financial control after divorce with insights from our special guest, Karen Schultz-Tarnopol, the mastermind behind Heirloom Consulting. Karen offers her wisdom on the often neglected yet vital realm of estate planning and legacy management, shedding light on the intense responsibilities a trustee carries and the sometimes staggering 500 hours it can take to settle an estate. This episode is a treasure trove of advice for single individuals aged 40 to 65, who strive to protect their children and secure their financial future post-divorce. We promise a deep dive into the complexities...

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Child support sounds like it should “cover everything for the kids,” until prom season hits, it's time to buy your child their first phone, not to mention "back to school" clothes and supplies. I’m Jackie Roessler, a certified divorce financial analyst, and I’m walking you through the gap between what child support guidelines are built to handle and what divorced parents actually pay for in real life, from that first car to summer camps.

We dig into the planning mistakes that trigger repeat conflict; such as failing to forecast life sta...

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The scariest moment in divorce is realizing you might not even know what you’re negotiating. When accounts “disappear,” income suddenly looks smaller, or the lifestyle never matched the paycheck, the problem isn’t just stress, it’s missing data. We want you to have a way to get your footing back.

We’re joined by Michele Laws, a highly specialized CDFA and forensic professional who works with divorce cases involving businesses, complex records, and serious red flags. Michele breaks down what a forensic analyst actually does in a divorce and how that rol...

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Divorce can flip your life overnight, and the scariest part is how fast money, custody, and control can slip away when you are making decisions on the fly. Jacki Roessler, a certified divorce financial analyst, sits down with Texas attorney Hannah Hembree Bell to talk about what it really means to “divorce rich” by building access to resources, solid information, and a plan you can defend.

Hannah shares how her own divorce and custody journey shaped her practical approach to family law, including what happens when you walk into the process stra...

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Most people think divorce “has to” look like a court fight, but that assumption can quietly drain your time, money, and emotional bandwidth. Jacki Roessler sits down with Michigan family law attorney and domestic relations mediator Xavier Prather to break down what divorce mediation actually is, how it differs from traditional litigation, and why the best outcomes often come from better communication rather than better arguments.

We get practical about the two major mediation styles listeners will run into, facilitative mediation versus evaluative mediation, as well as which couples are best suit...

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 The first question people ask me, almost without fail, is “How do I pick an attorney?” And I get it. Divorce already feels like your life got flipped, and the legal side can feel like a maze where one wrong turn gets expensive fast. That’s why I brought on Kelsey Minor, Esq. Managing Partner at DAWN in Bingham Farms, Michigan, a firm that has focused on women’s needs for decades. We get specific about what to look for when you’re interviewing a divorce lawyer, what questions to ask, and what “fit” really m...

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High-conflict divorce is rarely just “fighting.” Sometimes it’s grief, fear, shutdown, or subtle power dynamics that make every money or parenting decision feel impossible. We’re joined by Siedah Spencer-Ardis, a Michigan mental health professional and the founder of Focus Therapy Clinic, to talk through what really happens inside a collaborative divorce and why the mental health neutral can be the difference between progress and chaos.

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Keeping the house after divorce can feel like the last thread of stability, but the numbers do not always cooperate. If you are over 60 and facing a gray divorce, you might be sitting on substantial home equity while struggling to come up with the cash needed for a buyout, repairs, or everyday income. We wanted a real, practical conversation about one of the most misunderstood tools in divorce financial planning: the reverse mortgage.

We’re joined by Laura Phillips, a reverse mortgage specialist, to break down what a reverse mortgage actually is...

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Everyone assumes a prenup is a legal document you sign once and forget about. But when a marriage ends — five years later, or twenty — someone has to go back and figure out what that agreement actually means in today's dollars, today's assets, today's reality. That's where a CDFA comes in.

In this solo episode, Jacki breaks down what's really inside a prenuptial or post-nuptial agreement from a financial (not legal) point of view — separate property schedules, appreciation clauses, income allocation, spousal support waivers — and walks through a real-world case where a business...

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People don’t usually think they’re going to “lose it” over a lamp, a ring, or a set of dishes, until divorce turns personal property into a power struggle. We sit down with Kelly Knoll of Heritage Appraisals to get brutally clear about what household items, jewelry, art, antiques, and collectibles are actually worth, and when they are not worth the fight.

We talk about practical steps you can take early, like setting a value threshold, documenting portable items, saving receipts and certificates of authenticity, and understanding when photos are enough v...

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Teens can look like they’re doing great while their world is quietly cracking. When parents divorce during adolescence, kids may keep their grades up, stay active, and joke with friends, yet still feel fear, anger, confusion, and a deep sense of loss about the family they thought they had. We sit down with national board certified mental health professional Sarah Kuretzky Rossington to talk about teen divorce recovery and why this stage is so often neglected. 

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A divorce can expose one truth faster than almost anything: if you don’t have cash you can access today, you don’t have real options tomorrow.   In this episode, I share the idea that has been living rent-free in my head since hearing Jean Chatzky talk about it on Her Money: “her safety net” a personal, liquid account in your name that exists before you ever need it.

I walk through why this is not just an emergency fund for surprise expenses. A safety net fund changes how you make decisions...

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A 2.75% mortgage rate sounds like a gift until divorce turns it into a trap. We bring you a real case study from Northville, Michigan where the marital home is valued anywhere from $750,000 to $900,000, one spouse refuses to sell, and the other spouse wants their fair share of the equity. With two minor kids and a massive income gap, the question stops being “Who wants the house?” and becomes “What is legally possible, financially feasible, and emotionally smart?”

We sit down with Katherine Frampton, Esq. (Michigan family law attorney), Brian Mutter, CDLP (divorce...

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Divorce can make you feel like you’re rebuilding from scratch, but the real challenge is longer than the settlement paperwork: how do you stay stable, independent, and confident for the next 25 to 40 years? We sit down with Logan Dimitrie, associate financial planner at the Center for Financial Planning, to unpack longevity planning in plain language and make it practical for anyone navigating divorce or life as a newly single adult.  Logan also shares details on the Center’s virtual Longevity Conference for caregivers (May 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), https://www.centerfinplan.com/l...

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You’re finally at the end of your divorce, you sign the agreement, and for a moment you can breathe again. Then the doubt rushes in and it feels like your brain is replaying every conversation, every number, every “what if I went to trial” scenario. We call that finish line whiplash, and it’s one of the most common patterns I see after years of divorce financial analysis and divorce settlement support. The hard truth is that urgency to be done and panic after it’s done are both terrible places to evaluate m...

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Your divorce isn’t just happening in courtrooms and conference rooms anymore. It’s happening in your texts, your emails, your payment apps, and the posts you forget you made. We’re joined by Michigan family law attorney, mediator, and collaborative attorney Max Emmer to unpack what a “digital footprint” really means in modern divorce and how one careless message can become expensive leverage.

We talk through what’s truly discoverable in divorce discovery versus what’s actually relevant, and why that difference matters when emotions are high. Max shares practical guidance on co...

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A pension can look “handled” in your divorce judgment and the former  spouse can still get reduced (or zero) benefits. That is the gut punch behind today’s deep dive on QDROs, the qualified domestic relations orders that actually control pension division in divorce. We walk through what a QDRO does, why plan administrators only follow the approved order, and how a delay can undo an otherwise solid settlement. 

That “most important” factor is timing. We explain how QDROs often get treated like leftover paperwork after the judgment, how plans can require mult...

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One stock can quietly take over your entire financial life and divorce forces you to make a decision before you feel ready. When a concentrated stock position grows out of employer equity, a hot tip, or a long run of gains, it can look like the easiest asset on the spreadsheet. We see the opposite: it can be the riskiest, most emotional, and most misunderstood part of the divorce settlement.

We walk through why concentration risk matters more during divorce than almost any other life moment. Diversification is not just an...

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AI is already sitting at the negotiation table in divorce, whether we want it there or not and that’s exactly why we wanted this conversation. I’m joined by Jamie Lima, a financial planner, certified divorce financial analyst, and software developer who’s building Secure Split to modernize how divorce professionals and clients handle the money side of a case.

We get honest about the downside first: AI hallucinations and misinformation. When someone is overwhelmed and searching for certainty, a confident-sounding answer from a chatbot can feel like truth, even when i...

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Leah Hadley’s Intentional Money invites women to rethink their relationship with money and build wealth in a way that supports the life they truly want. Drawing from years of experience helping women navigate career shifts, divorce, caregiving, and reinvention, Hadley introduces the Intentional Money Method™—a framework built on clarity, values, mindset, strategy, action, and support. Instead of chasing someone else’s definition of financial success, readers learn how to align earning, spending, saving, investing, and giving with what matters most.

Through relatable stories and practical guidance, Intentional Money helps women mo...

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Taxes changed, and so did the playbook for anyone navigating divorce, parenting costs, or retirement income. We sat down with Michael Brocavich, CFP, MBA Partner and Director of Financial Planning at the Center for Financial Planning in Southfield, Michigan, to break down what actually matters: permanent lower brackets, a larger standard deduction, a new “senior bonus,” and how credits can put cash back in your pocket when money feels tight.

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In this episode of the Divorce Rich Podcast, part of our Divorce, Decoded mini-series, we take a strategic look at collaborative divorce — a private, team-based alternative to traditional litigation. Joined by Siedah Spencer-Ardis and Alisa Peskin-Shepherd, Esq., we explore how the collaborative law process works, who it may be appropriate for, and how it compares to other divorce options.

Designed for individuals seeking informed decision-making, this conversation highlights key considerations for privacy, team support, and long-term co-parenting outcomes. Whether you’re exploring alternatives to court or simply want...

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Markets keep shouting; our plan gets quieter. We bring on Angela Palacios, Partner and Chief Investment Officer at the Center for Financial Planning, to translate noisy headlines into steady, real-world steps for anyone rebuilding finances after a divorce. From interest rates and mortgages to taxes and risk, we focus on choices that protect your present and grow your future.

We start by grounding the investment outlook in fundamentals. After a volatile stretch, both stocks and bonds showed surprising resilience, reminding us that corporate earnings, consumer strength, and employment drive long-term returns...

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Ever felt the surge of “I just want to be done” and almost signed away your future for a little quiet? We’ve been there with countless clients, and today we walk through how to turn that burnout into smarter, calmer decisions that protect your long-term peace. We talk strategy, not slogans: how to slow down without stalling, how to see numbers instead of noise, and how to finish wisely so you’re not paying for quick relief with decades of regret.

We also unpack the house dilemma—the powerful urge to keep it...

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Divorce feels like someone shuffled your entire life and told you to play the next hand perfectly. We walk you through the first moves that matter most: which documents to gather, how to build a simple but powerful budget, and how to choose an attorney whose strengths match your case and county. Family law attorney Joran Rubin joins us to share what impresses counsel in the first meeting, why three years of tax returns reveal more than you think, and how a budget becomes the backbone of support discussions and housing decisions.
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A classic comedy, a live panel, and the real decisions that shape life after divorce—this episode brings it all together. We announce a special screening of First Wives Club at the Michigan Theater on January 28, 2026 at 7:00 pm https://marquee-arts.org/event-page/tickets/?showingId=990348 and unpack why a female-centered story still sparks the most practical conversations about money, housing, and agency. Alongside the theater’s community mission, we explore how film can open the door to legal and financial literacy without losing the hope and humor that keep people moving forward. 

We si...

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Think you can simply “assume” the mortgage and keep that sweet 3% rate? We pull back the curtain on what actually happens when one spouse tries to take over the home loan after divorce—and why lenders often say “maybe” on the phone but “no” in underwriting. With guest Brian Mutter, a Certified Divorce Lending Professional, we unpack how assumptions work, when they collapse under lender-specific rules, and what to do when you still need to pull equity to buy out your spouse.

Throughout, we show why involving a CDLP before your judgment is fi...

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We explore how AI can help you prepare during divorce while also showing where it can mislead you with confident but wrong answers. We share safe workflows, a real test that went off the rails on spousal support and legal advice and a clear path for choosing the right professionals.

• defining the core risk of AI’s false certainty 
• examples of bad legal and financial outputs from AI 
• safe uses: question drafting, summaries, checklists 
• the validation rule: local attorney and CDFA review 
• interview questions for attorneys and CDFAs 
• rea...

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When a family splits, teens often look “fine” on the surface—grades steady, activities unchanged—while carrying a storm of fear, anger, and confusion underneath. We sit down with mental health pro Sarah Kuretzky Rossington to unpack how divorce impacts identity formation, autonomy, and early relationships, and why older kids shouldn’t be left to figure it out alone.

We get practical about support that actually works. Sarah explains why narrative therapy helps teens make sense of their story without shame, how a light Internal Family Systems framework validates conflicting emotions, and why DB...

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Unlock crucial insights into the growing phenomenon of gray divorce with our latest episode featuring Sandy Adams from the Center for Financial Planning. We'll unravel the complexities older adults face when contemplating a late-in-life divorce. From understanding the significance of healthcare insurance and Medicare eligibility to the intricacies of timing retirement benefits, Sandy shares indispensable advice that can shape a financially secure future. We dive into the nuances of Social Security, clarifying the difference between Medicare and Social Security benefits, and discussing options for reconsidering Social Security elections under specific conditions.

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Holiday plans are loud; money problems are louder. We press pause on the overwhelm and walk you through a clean, step-by-step year-end checklist designed for life after divorce. From tax withholding to FSAs, investment strategy, and credit safeguards, we focus on the handful of actions that prevent April shocks and set you up for a calmer new year. If you’re rebuilding after divorce and need a focused path to financial stability, this guide gives you practical, timely steps you can complete this week. Subscribe for more smart divorce money insights, share this wi...

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Jacki and her guest, parenting coach Forrest Levy Wolfe explore how to reduce chaos during two-home transitions with simple rituals, validating language, and clear, respectful limits. 
We cover: 
• why kids struggle most with uncertainty and loss of control
• a transition ritual of plan, food, and rest
• the A and A Protocol to acknowledge and affirm feelings
• replacing threats with “as soon as” clear limits
• staying in your lane when co-parents differ
• moving belongings with checklists and routines
• self-regulation for parents so kids can co-regulate
• reframing divorce as a...

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The moment the decree is signed, real life begins. We walk through the first months of financial independence after a divorce and show how small, steady actions create relief fast. Our guest, Angela Cipriano, a financial coach who rebuilt her own life post-divorce, explains how to move from overwhelm to ownership with checklists, simple systems, and a mindset that actually sticks.

We start by demystifying the roles: a financial coach handles what most advisors skip—beneficiary updates, utility transfers, passwords, bill flow, and day-to-day budgeting—so you can arrive at your plan...

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The moment a divorce becomes real, health insurance can feel like quicksand. Premiums spike, deadlines loom, and the plans you relied on may no longer cover the treatments that keep you well. We walk through a real client’s story to show how to evaluate COBRA, employer coverage, and ACA marketplace plans without guesswork or panic. The twist: even with a higher monthly premium, COBRA can sometimes save you money and protect continuity of care when you factor in deductibles, prescriptions, integrative therapies, and network access.


Health insurance choices are al...

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Divorce doesn’t have to be a courtroom sport. We sit down with Michigan family law attorney Randy Pittler to unpack how collaborative divorce reframes the process from “win-lose” to problem solving—replacing subpoenas and shuttle diplomacy with a trained team, full transparency, and solutions built for real life. Randy explains why litigation so often breeds delay, expense, and post‑mediation regret, and how Collaborative Divorce flips the incentives: each spouse has a collaboratively trained attorney, a neutral financial expert gathers documents and models options, and a mental health coach keeps emotions from steering t...

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What if the most expensive choice isn’t divorce—it’s staying put? We pull back the curtain on the true financial toll of an unhappy marriage, from hidden debts you never signed off on to the slow bleed of funding a lifestyle that later becomes the benchmark for spousal support. Through real client stories, we trace how shared liabilities, unapproved loans, and retirement withdrawals can quietly rewrite your balance sheet while you’re trying to keep the peace.

We talk through practical safeguards—prenups or postnups, shared logins, regular financial check-ins—...