Walking the Line – Financial Professionals in Divorce Mediation

There is a fine line between impartiality and advocacy and financial professionals and divorce mediators must balance this high wire everyday. Financial Planner, Alan Nadolna of the Associates Group and Mediator, Brian James of CEL Associates are intimately aware of this challenge. When couples find their marriages dissolving the professionals they consult enter into the emotionally charged situation with a heavy burden. They must remain dispassionate and objective but also give voice to the accountability and equity that must be injected into any mediation process.

Financial planners like Alan Nadolna, who participate in divorce mediation processes are additionally burdened with advocacy for parties who are often uninformed and compromised by the divorce action. As is frequently the case, there is usually one spouse who has been less active in the financial activities of the marriage and often enters divorce proceedings with significantly less information and expertise than their partner. Issues such as long term investments, the marital home, and continued health insurance create incredible anxiety and fear for that spouse and, as Alan Nadolna states,” the financial planner must become the architect and director of the process for an equitable financial settlement.”

There are two primary responsibilities for the financial professional in divorce mediation. The first is to assess the emotional status of each party and what impact that status will have on open and honest financial disclosure and negotiation. Organizations such as the Associates Group and CEL Associates introduce financial accountability to the mediation process and find that this is paramount to a responsible mediation. Secondly, financial professional Alan Nadolna must “make appropriate recommendations and direct inquiries into marital assets, financial well-being of children and the custodial parent, and related financial issues”. To say that these financial professionals must remain objective is obvious but they invariable experience the human emotions of compassion, sympathy, and concern for all the parties involved. Brian James of CEL Associates has found that “in a process where the high stakes of future well-being of children are involved these emotions go with the territory.” Financial planners and divorce mediators are especially valued for their lack of judgment and bias but there are frequently times in the process where they must act as an advocate for a weaker and more vulnerable spouse. Brian James, divorce mediator and counselor emphasizes that, “mediators and financial planners must collaborate to ensure that the financial portion of the marital estate is divided fairly and equitably for all the parties involved in both the short and long term effects of the division.”

Walking this fine line where emotions and objectivity are balanced becomes a high stakes high wire act. Financial planners must take the dollars and cents of a marriage and attempt to mitigate the impact that emotional chaos has upon the real and tangible assets of the marriage. Even seasoned professionals such as Alan Nadola and Brian James can not help but make an emotional investment in the outcome of the process. Because divorce mediations can be lengthy and emotionally charged processes, these professionals become invested in the health and status of the couple. But, while emotionally invested, these truly gifted professionals can walk this fine line with poise, professionalism, and pride in seeing their efforts result in equitable settlements and avoid costly and painful litigation. This balancing act is worthy of even the most renown tightrope walkers and, without a net, the stakes are just as high.