Ivy H. Menchel is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) and the president and founder of Family Wealth Planning Partners. Based in New York City, Ivy focuses her practice on helping divorcing clients, along with their attorneys and mediators, make sound financial decisions as they transition into the next phase of their lives. In addition to her work as a CDFA, she is also a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Certified Business Exit Consultant (CBEC®) with almost 30 years of experience in financial services. In 2009, she founded Family Wealth Planning Partners specifically to help her divorcing clients and their team of divorce professionals address the financial issues of divorce and assess their options for fair and equitable settlements.

For Ivy, going into this profession was a highly personal decision. Her parents got divorced after 34 years of marriage and she saw both the financial and emotional toll it took on them.

What distinguishes Ivy from others in her field is her unique training and range of specializations. One of the few CDFAs to also hold certifications as a CFP and a CBEC, she is able to take a comprehensive view of her clients’ needs and goals when going through the divorce process. Beyond her private practice, Ivy is widely regarded as a thought leader in her field and regularly shares her knowledge with the broader public through her teaching, speaking and writing.  She is on the Board of Directors of the Association of Divorce Financial Planners, a NYC Chapter Director for the National Association of Divorce Professionals, trainer for the Certified Divorce Specialist program, as well as a member of several other professional organizations.

With a background in education and counseling, Karen has three decades of experience working with individuals and families going through difficult transitional life events. Her career started as a teacher and school counselor before going into private practice and working as a therapist for children, adolescents, and families.

After experiencing her own divorce, Karen realized she was not equipped with the skills, information, and emotional support that is necessary to successfully navigate the divorce process. This led her to move from therapy to focusing on helping others through this challenging time in their lives. Karen became a Divorce Mediator, a Certified Divorce Coach® specializing in pre-mediation coaching, and a Certified Co-Parenting Specialist working with parents dealing with the often stressful transition of co-parenting. Karen is also trained in the Collaborative Divorce process.

Her greatest satisfaction is witnessing her clients emerge from the despair of divorce ready to take on the next chapter of their lives.

Diane has over 33 years of experience in the financial advisory profession. Diane specializes in assisting women who are going through transition, such as divorce, death, retirement, inheritance, or a career change to understand their financial options.

As a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) professional, Diane has made a commitment to CFP Board to function as a fiduciary when providing financial advice to a client. She has also obtained the Certified Financial Transitionist (CeFT®) designation and is trained to help clients navigate through major life events and the financial transitions that accompany them. As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®), she serves as a financial expert and educates clients on the short- and long-term financial implications of different divorce settlement proposals.

Laurel Starks is arguably the nation’s foremost expert in the field of Divorce Real Estate, often regarded as the pioneer of the niche, and is the published author of “The House Matters in Divorce.”

As the principal of Starks Realty Group founded in 2005, Laurel is a court-appointed listing agent under EC §730, and has worked in more than 1,000 divorce cases.

In 2018, Laurel founded The Ilumni Institute, an education organization that bridges the gap between family law and real estate. She wrote and developed the Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert™ (“CDRE™“) curriculum, which has become the most recognized credential for court-appointed Realtors in the nation.

An Inman Influencer and Inman Innovator, Laurel is a frequent speaker and writer for state and national family law and real estate organizations, and has been featured as a subject matter expert in publications such as NAR, The Huffington Post, NPR, and Realtor Magazine. In addition, Laurel is the host of Raising the Bar, a national continuing legal education series for family law attorneys.

Jody Bruns is the President and Founder of the Divorce Lending Association and is credited with establishing industry certification programs for both real estate and mortgage professionals working with divorcing clients. Jody takes her knowledge further as an approved continuing education provider for multiple state bar associations and financial planning boards educating attorneys, financial planners, and other divorce professionals on the underlying concerns when divorce and real estate meet head-on.

Through her own personal journey of a divorce involving real estate, Jody knows firsthand the emotions divorce carries with it. Utilizing her own personal experience combined with her 30 plus years in mortgage and finance, Jody has made it her career and passion to educate the divorce community while helping divorcing clients navigate the clash between divorce, real estate, and mortgage financing.

Jody authored the Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP™) industry certification along with a book, A House Divided | The Clash between Divorce, Real Estate, and Mortgage Financing.

Jody has coached and trained over 3,000 mortgage and real estate professionals on how to successfully work with divorcing homeowners; divorce attorneys, and other divorce professionals with the ultimate goal of a more successful divorce when mortgage financing and real property are involved.

- Certified Mediator/Mediator Trainer
- Real Estate Continuing Education Instructor
- Approved Continuing Legal Education Provider with multiple State Bar Associations
- Approved Continuing Education Provider with CFP® Board and Institute of Divorce Financial Analysts

Learn more here.