SplitSmart with Anna

How work from home Fridays are looking with this recent stray turned adopted … mediation interruptions, chewing on divorce settlement proposal notes for clients and trying to knock down my iced tea. She’s a spicy one 🐈‍⬛😂🖤

Oh. And she popped onto my zoom meeting with a divorcing couple I’m working with.

She’s lucky she’s so cute 🙂 Everyone was very understanding and thought she brought a lighter mood to our discussions.

TGIF & have a safe and great Labor Day holiday weekend everyone!

New York City Public Schools, the largest school district in the United States, has taken a tough stance on artificial intelligence, banning student-facing generative AI tools in classrooms.

The move makes New York City one of the most aggressive districts in the country when it comes to limiting students’ use of AI at school 👏

Financial decisions made during mediation can affect your housing, cash flow, taxes and retirement long after the agreement is signed.

I created this Financial Preparation Guide to help you understand what to gather, what questions to ask and what to consider before making financial decisions in mediation.

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE → website → services → co-mediation

One thing I’ve really enjoyed in my work as a CDFA® is getting to know and work with some really great financial advisors.

I’ve been fortunate to meet quite a few through client cases, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed the collaboration and the different perspective they bring to the process.

In some cases, I’m working as the financial advocate for one party. In others, I’m serving as the financial neutral. In both roles, I’ve found having a financial advisor involved can be incredibly useful.

As the CDFA, much of my work is focused on the marital balance sheet, cash flow and modeling different settlement scenarios.

But an advisor who has worked with a couple or individual for years may know things the numbers alone don’t always tell me — their financial habits, risk tolerance, retirement goals, liquidity needs and how they’ve historically approached money and investing.

That context matters.

A settlement can look equitable on paper and still not be the right financial structure for the people actually living with it afterward.

I’ve had advisors offer insight into which assets may make more sense to divide, how accounts can be transitioned after divorce, and how a proposed division could affect longer-term financial goals.

I really value that perspective.

We each bring something different to the table, and in the right setting, those roles can complement each other incredibly well. I’ve been fortunate to work with some wonderful financial professionals who understand that the goal isn’t simply dividing assets — it’s helping people come out of divorce with a financial structure that actually works for their life afterward.

Tom Felton is now 38, the same age Jason Isaacs was when he first played Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Felton was only 13 when he first appeared as Draco, which makes the comparison hit even harder for fans who grew up with the films.

The timing feels even more full-circle because Felton recently returned to the role of adult Draco in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. Isaacs has continued to publicly support him, often calling him his on-screen “son” even decades after the movies.

I recently participated in a speed networking event with family law judges. From a CDFA viewpoint, I was curious what issue brings couples back to court over and over again?

Their answer was consistent:
The house.

If your name is still on the mortgage… it’s still your problem.

I don’t care what your divorce decree says. The lender didn’t sign it.

If your ex misses a payment:
→ Your credit takes the hit
→ Your ability to buy again is affected
→ Your “fresh start” isn’t so fresh

In divorce, what’s written legally and what’s enforced financially are two very different things.

Before becoming a CDFA, I had 30 year career in credit and mortgage lending and I’ve seen how this plays out over and over again.

Know the difference before you sign.