It's officially fall and the weather
reminds us of the roller coaster of divorce- warm and colorful one day,
freezing sleet and snow the next. Like life, you just never know what you'll be
facing when you wake in the morning! But you do know how to take care of
yourself, use your supports and tools and set the stage for any possibility.
At One Journey Consulting, it has been a fabulous month. Last
weekend, we held our Healing the Divorced Heart women's retreat. Participants
told us the experience was amazing and life-changing. Through various
exercises, attendees unblocked limiting thoughts, eliminated negative energy
and visualized the life they now want to lead. There were lots of 'aha'
moments, laughs and a relaxing good time- not so difficult to do with the ocean
inches away! We look forward to hosting another retreat in the Spring.
Please check out some new features in this monthly newsletter.
With permission, we've included a poem written at the retreat by one of our
attendees, and a Q&A section inspired by one of our community members. If
you have questions or topics you'd like to see addressed in upcoming
newsletters, please let us know!
Sincerely,
Renee Cooper and Di Hall
One Journey Consulting
Upcoming Events at One Journey
Consulting
As a source of support through the holiday season, One Journey
Consulting is offering a special 8-session Journey of Divorce Base Camp
beginning December 3. See our website for more information.
On November 4 we are offering an evening seminar entitled Divorce and Your
Home: Should you Stay or Go, for those wrestling with whether to keep or
sell their marital home. Financial advisor Gabrielle Clemens
of USB
Financial Services will answer questions on financial implications, and Diana Chaplin ofColdwell Banker in Weston will offer
advice on real estate options. To register, please contact us at 508-276-1764
or email info@OneJourneyConsulting.com.
Upcoming Events with
our Network Affiliates The Single Baby
Boomers Bershert, a group for Jewish singles between the ages of 40 and 60,
is kicking off their formation with a dance extravaganza on November 7,
at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland. Contact babyboombershert@comcast.net
for more information.
If you're looking for information on how to avoid financial missteps in your
divorce settlement, Renee Senes, financial consultant, will be conducting Money
and Divorce: Costly Mistakes You Don't Want to Make on Tuesday, November 10
at CarlisleTown Hall. Call or email Renee at 978-456-9600 or rsenes@investorscapital.com.
Healing the Divorced Heart Retreat
Thanks
to all the women who joined us at this month's weekend retreat. Each
time we gather a group together, there is a celebration of energy,
passion and spirit, and this weekend was no exception. We think one of
the attendees captured it best when she emailed us:
"(After the retreat) I drove home and honestly felt lighter -- like a big burden was lifted off my shoulders...Even
coming home and being faced with some very difficult situations, I
stayed strong and felt like a new person. While I am still new in this
journey, I can truly feel "empowered" in what I can control.... how I
am treated and what direction my life will lead..." -S.R.
We'd like to share with you a poem written by retreat participant,Samantha Libby (with permission):
Unbreak my heart
waves crash upon rocks
spraying high in water-droplet tribute to what is
none of us wanted it this way
all of us take what remains, flinging our hopes into the sea
those of us with young children
crave distance and closeness in equal measure
we know now no matter how tight you hold on
there are no guarantees in this life
there is only the tide breaking and bending
rocks standing their ground
waves of time spraying our best intentions
into superfine mist upon the jagged edges of hope
searching for ways to unbreak our hearts
while still casting them, relentlessly
into open water and unchained sky
the unknown future
breaking in waves upon our jagged past
the rocks of held beliefs no longer true
we now know the hard truth of what is
we stand against the sky
fear and hope in equal measure
clutched against the enormity
tides of change cast relentlessly into our lives
breaking upon the rocks of what has come before
and the unknown future that holds us captive
broken and free
none of us wanted it this way
Q&A: Do I need a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst?
Q: The question I have is whether I should hire a Certified
Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA). I am struggling to pull all the financial
information together for the Financial Statement (short-form) to give to my
lawyer. I read a book that said, at a minimum, I should have the Financial
Statement reviewed by a CDFA before turning it over to my lawyer. I am afraid I
am going to miss something and under report what it takes to run our household.
Worrying about all this stuff is one of the reasons I feel so "stuck"
in completing it. --C.
A: The Financial
Statement Form (FAF) is an important
legal document, and should be completed with utmost accuracy. You need to
review at least 12 months of expenses and be able to support every line item- a
time consuming exercise, but one that needs to be done. A CDFA can help
you put it together, but it's an expensive proposition as most work on an
hourly basis. A CDFA will bring more value in reviewing your FAF, should you be able
to complete it on your own, for possible red flags. Once you have
documented all your expenses, a CDFA can analyze and prepare scenarios, review
the marital estate for tax implications and propose solutions for splitting it.
Income and expenses are reviewed and different scenarios for child support
and/or alimony can be proposed (with focus on the most tax efficient scenarios).
At the end of the day, my job as a CDFA is done when I have been able to make
you understand the ramifications of the many divorce-related financial
decisions you are facing.
-
Natalie Roberge, CDFA at Divorce Financial in Sudbury;
- www.divorcefinancial.net,Natalie@divorcefinancial.net, 978-460-3327
About One Journey Consulting
One Journey Consulting is a coaching and consulting practice dedicated to personal renewal and rediscovery, particularly through the experience of divorce and other significant life transitions. Services include weekly workshops, one-day seminars, individual coaching and weekend retreats. For more information, visitwww.onejourneyconsulting.com.
