The Role of the CDFA® in the Collaborative Law Process

Recorded On: 10/16/2018

Participating in the Collaborative Law process presents a paradigm shift and many challenges to all members of the professional team. As a Financial Neutral and an important member of the team, it is the CDFA's job to provide financial data as directed by the attorneys and the clients, which may be a different role than the CDFA is use to. With over a dozen successful cases as a Financial Neutral, Diane Pappas offers her best practices, from how to get involved with a collaborative group to what to do as a neutral and more importantly, what not to do.

Diane C. Pappas

CDFA®, CQS™

Solutions For Divorce LLC

DIANE C. PAPPAS is the principal and owner of Solutions for Divorce LLC, an independent, fee-only divorce financial planning firm serving clients throughout Massachusetts. Ms. Pappas is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, Certified QDRO Specialist™, trained divorce mediator, Collaborative Financial Neutral, and Registered Investment Advisor.

Diane has presented at national conferences on divorce financial analysis and is nationally recognized as an expert in her field. In 2023, she received the IDFA Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring her as one of the very best CDFA® professionals in the country.

Her practice focuses on the complex financial and tax issues inherent in divorce, including financial forensics, pension valuation, complex asset division, executive compensation analysis, and tax-based child support and alimony calculations under Massachusetts case law. She drafts Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs) for all types of retirement plans, including defined contribution plans, defined benefit pensions, non-qualified plans, and state retirement systems. Diane has been qualified as an expert witness in pension valuation matters.

The primary focus of her work is ensuring that clients have clarity, confidence, and a complete understanding of their financial settlement before signing on the dotted line.

Social Media Handles:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianecpappas/

https://www.facebook.com/divorceSFD