What We Do at Touchstone Financial Planning
We help our clients navigate the financial aspects of divorce by demonstrating the short term and long term outcomes of potential settlement scenarios. We can also work with your attorney and mediator to provide necessary information crucial to providing the most beneficial and cost-effective result for you.
Dawn Strachan, RICP®, CDFA®
Financial Professional
Dawn Strachan is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA™) and Financial Life Planner. Dawn has been working with divorcing couples and individuals since 2001. As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, Dawn is experienced in working with clients helping them identify and understand the financial issues of divorce. She is instrumental in assisting her clients in arriving at a settlement that is beneficial for all by empowering them with the financial information that is often overlooked in the divorce process.
Dawn Strachan is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA™) and Financial Life Planner. Dawn has been working with divorcing couples and individuals since 2001. As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, Dawn is experienced in working with clients helping them identify and understand the financial issues of divorce. She is instrumental in assisting her clients in arriving at a settlement that is beneficial for all by empowering them with the financial information that is often overlooked in the divorce process.
What appears to be an equitable settlement today may not be fair tomorrow. Through software specifically designed to handle the financial aspects of divorce, Ms. Strachan generates sophisticated financial projections addressing the long-term effects of dividing property, integrating into her analysis tax issues, pension plan issues, earnings capabilities, spousal and child support options, liquidity concerns, inflation rates, rates of return on investments, and other financial issues related to separation agreements. The graphic reports generated by Ms. Strachan encourage dialogue between the divorcing parties and facilitates settlement, keeping everyone out of court, which dramatically reduces the cost of divorce.
As a financial planner Dawn takes a life plan approach to financial planning incorporating all areas such as retirement and estate planning, risk management, college funding and wealth management. This experience helps her bring a unique perspective to the divorce planning process.
Dawn received her B.S. in Accounting and Finance from CSULB in 1989 and her CDFA™ in November 2001. She is a member of the Institute for Certified Divorce Financial Analysts, the California Divorce Planners Network, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Association of Divorce Financial Planners, the Financial Planning Association – Los Angeles Chapter, Collaborative Practice – California (CP-Cal) – Board Member, the Los Angeles Collaborative Family Law Association, A Better DivorceTM group and is an Associate member of the South Bay Bar Association. Ms. Strachan is an advocate of consensual dispute resolution for divorce, and has completed a 40-hour mediation training, a Level 1 and Advanced Collaborative Divorceä Team Model training as well as numerous Interdisciplinary Team trainings.
As a financial planner Dawn takes a life plan approach to financial planning incorporating all areas such as retirement and estate planning, risk management, college funding and wealth management. This experience helps her bring a unique perspective to the divorce planning process.
Dawn received her B.S. in Accounting and Finance from CSULB in 1989 and her CDFA™ in November 2001. She is a member of the Institute for Certified Divorce Financial Analysts, the California Divorce Planners Network, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Association of Divorce Financial Planners, the Financial Planning Association – Los Angeles Chapter, Collaborative Practice – California (CP-Cal) – Board Member, the Los Angeles Collaborative Family Law Association, A Better DivorceTM group and is an Associate member of the South Bay Bar Association. Ms. Strachan is an advocate of consensual dispute resolution for divorce, and has completed a 40-hour mediation training, a Level 1 and Advanced Collaborative Divorceä Team Model training as well as numerous Interdisciplinary Team trainings.
What is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA)?
A CDFA® is someone who comes from a financial planning, accounting or legal background and goes through an intensive training program to become skilled in analyzing and providing expertise related to the financial issues of divorce. The CDFA® becomes part of the divorce team, providing litigation support for the lawyer and client, or becomes a member of a Collaborative Law team. In either event, the CDFA® will be responsible for:
A CDFA® ALSO:
- Provides the client and lawyer with data that shows the financial effect of any given divorce settlement.
- Appears as an expert witness if the case should go to court, or in mediation or arbitration proceedings.
- Is familiar with tax issues that apply to divorce.
- Has background knowledge of the legal issues in divorce.
- Is trained to interview clients so as to Collect financial and expense data., Help client’s identify their future financial goals and Develop a budget.
- Set retirement objectives.
- Determine how much risk they are willing to take with their investments.
- Identify what kind of life style they want.
- Determine the costs of their children’s education.
