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Divorce Claims Rising Sharply in Woodstock

Local Expert offers Wealth-Saving Tips for the Newly Parted

Woodstock ON, July 31, 2006 – The number of divorces filed in Woodstock has risen sharply over the last two and a half years. Our bustling divorce court on Hunter Street received 173 divorce claims in the first half of this year, well on pace to exceed the 286 claims filed in 2005. The current divorce volume represents a 44% increase in divorce claims from the 239 claims filed in 2004.

A Divorce Expert Can Save Your Future Wealth.

Woodstock's First Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) Helps Divorcees Find Financial Footing

A separation is often full of emotional turmoil for partners and their families. Not surprisingly, many couples neglect to effectively manage the critical financial issues arising from the separation, precisely at the moment when their attention to these matters is most needed.

But your break-up doesn’t have to leave you broke -- a little expert advice at the right time can make a huge difference. One source of help that more couples are using is a relatively new type of designated professional: a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA). Accredited by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts in Southfield, Michigan, a CDFA is trained to act as your financial steward through the process says Marketing Director Diana Shepard. "Working with clients and their lawyers, a CDFA forecasts the long-term effects of the proposed settlement, showing why Settlement A is preferable to Settlement B in the long run," Shepherd explains. CDFAs also help lawyers by giving them the financial tools they need to help prove their cases.

While there are just 85 CDFAs practicing in Canada*, Woodstock is lucky to have one in Jean Shippey, a Chartered Accountant and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst with VanParys Micacchi Shippey & Warnick.

The CDFA works with the client and their legal counsel, adding an extra rigour to the financial analysis that is so important. “We work hard to take the guess-work out of the numbers, and to make sometimes complicated financial details easy to understand," Shippey says.

This advice tends to come precisely at the time when the couple may be unable to focus clearly on the long-term. It gives them a perspective on the future. For many clients, the data has a soothing effect. “It gives them peace of mind that, from a financial perspective, they will survive,” Shippey says. But in other instances, "it can also be a well-researched wake-up call that they will need to take some important new steps for financial independence."

About VanParys Micacchi Shippey & Warnick

VanParys Micacchi Shippey & Warnick (VMSW), Chartered Accountants has been delivering premium service in Southwestern Ontario since 1983. VMSW is one of the few accounting firms that support a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst.

About Jean Shippey, CA, CFP, CDFA

Jean Shippey is a Chartered Accountant (CA) and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA). Since 1983 Jean has been a caring advisor to people who need a skilled financial professional. Jean's training and experience as a Chartered Accountant and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) enhances her ability as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst.

Feel free to browse the resources section of our website for more divorce support articles.

* Certified by Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts.