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Before becoming a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and mediator, I spent nearly 30 years in the financial and mortgage industries. I understood money, lending, real estate, and the long-term consequences of financial decisions.

Then I went through my own divorce.

It was difficult, contentious, and followed by years in the family court system. I learned firsthand that even financially knowledgeable people can struggle to make clear decisions when they’re in the middle of something deeply personal. I also saw how quickly conflict, poor information, and decisions made just to “get it over with” can follow a family long after the divorce is final.

That experience changed the direction of my career.

I created SplitSmart with Anna because I kept coming back to one thought: people should understand what they’re agreeing to before they sign it — and what those decisions may mean for their life afterward.

Today, I work with individuals who need someone in their corner financially, as well as couples who want a neutral financial professional or mediator to help them work through the decisions together.

Sometimes that means untangling the numbers and figuring out what’s actually there. Sometimes it’s comparing different ways to divide assets, looking at whether keeping the house really works, or understanding what a settlement that looks fair today could mean five, ten, or twenty years from now.

And sometimes it’s simply slowing things down enough to ask the questions that haven’t been asked yet.

I don’t believe every divorce needs more conflict, more professionals, or more expense. I believe people need the right information, the right expertise, and a process that helps them make thoughtful decisions instead of expensive ones they’ll wish they’d made differently.

I want my clients to understand their numbers, know their options, and feel confident that the decisions they’re making actually work for the life they’ll have after divorce.

Because the goal isn’t simply to get divorced.

It’s to make sure the decisions you make while getting there still make sense after it’s over.