One of the biggest aspects of divorce is often the distribution of property, assets and debts. It is also frequently the most poorly handled portion of the divorce. With emotions running high, couples rarely have a clear vision of how best to handle the financial split. As a result, many end up with more debts and less assets, a problem that could have been avoided if they had only known how to approach the property distribution phase.

That’s where Certified Financial Planners Alan Feigenbaum and Heather Linton come in. In their book, The Complete Guide to Protecting Your Financial Security When Getting A Divorce, Feigenbaum and Linton show you how to maximize your marital estate and create a fair settlement for both parties. Using your marriage’s “economic history”, it shows you how to use financial and tax planning strategies to control expenses and protect your assets. But perhaps the most important aspect of this book is that it pulls no punches when preparing you for what lies ahead on the road to divorce.

“…What’s a marital casualty to do when divorce planning becomes a daily, hourly, or minute-by-minute Stage-5 rapids ride through these waves of free, contradictory advice: Get revenge. Be nice. Be sneaky. Be open. Be aggressive. Be conciliatory. Take him or her for every last penny. Find a solution in which nobody truly loses. Get vicious Attorney X. Get mild-mannered Mediator Y. Get out now. Stay until you settle things. Don’t even think of dating. Take care of yourself. And up and down ad nauseam.”

This matter-of-fact tone resonates throughout the book as Feigenbaum and Linton explain the disadvantages you suffer when you allow emotion to cloud your “view of divorce’s economic realities”. It covers:

• Why an even split isn’t always even
• When to “do-it-yourself “
• When mediation or a collaborative divorce is the best choice
• How to address complicated issues such as commingled funds and pension plans

The book provides you with a clear understanding of how property division works and more importantly, how to evaluate your marital estate to achieve the best distribution. You’ll learn how to handle complex problems such as front-loaded spousal support and what tax issues you can face after the divorce is final.

At just over 250 pages, The Complete Guide to Protecting Your Financial Security When Getting A Divorce is a no-holds-barred resource that puts the financial aspects of your marriage clearly into perspective.