”Negotiating Your Financial Future: Key Factors to Consider with Leading Divorce Financial Professional, Heather Locus” on The Divorce & Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq. #114

In this episode, Susan Guthrie, top family law attorney and mediator, speaks with one of the country's leading divorce financial professionals, Heather Locus, CPA, CFP, CDFA (look at all those initials!), who shares essential financial factors to consider when negotiating your divorce settlement. Getting a divorce can be one of the scariest experiences that we will ever go through, and much of that fear is worry about finances.  When you take everything that you are your spouse have and split it two ways, it's inevitable that there will be less to go around.  Heather Locus, CPA, CFP, CDFA, one of the country's leading divorce financial professionals knows the fear and uncertainty that people feel when it comes to their money and divorce and she helps people navigate those choppy waters every day.  Heather shares her insights and top tips for you to be aware of as you negotiate your divorce settlement including alimony, property division, retirement assets, taxes, health insurance and more.  If you are facing divorce, do not negotiate anything without listening to this episode first!   Some HIGHLIGHTS from this Episode: Find out what ostrich syndrome is and why it can be so costly. Why is alimony the scariest word in divorce? Why is flexibility the key to negotiating the best settlement? How do you create your divorce bucket list? Hear Heather's insights on focusing on the NEXT CHAPTER so you can move BEYOND! All this and much, much more so be sure to listen today! MORE ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST: Heather Locus, CPA, CFP, CDFA is passionate about helping people make complex decisions. As an owner of Balasa Dinverno Foltz, LLC, a national independent private wealth management firm, Heather is head of their Divorce Practice Group, and founder of their Women’s Service Team, she solves problems by balancing the emotional and behavioral components of financial decisions with the tax and legal issues. Since taking the right steps at every turn matters, Heather empowers divorcing men and women to make sound decisions throughout all the phases of divorce. Often as the first divorce professional people talk to, she helps families hire the best-fit attorneys, mediator or other professionals needed. Heather and her team assist in key decisions such as whether to settle or continue negotiations, then fully implement separating assets and managing the investments to fund a full life post-divorce. Heather uses her technical knowledge and first-hand experience to guide people through this unsettling situation to create a full life as they redefine it. She authored The Next Chapter: A Practical Roadmap for Navigating Through, and Beyond, Divorce and is a regular contributor to Forbes.com A Forbes “America’s Top Women Advisor,” Heather is also a six-time “Five Star Wealth Manager” according to Chicago Magazine, was named an “Influential Women in Business” by The Business Ledger, a “Top 200 Wealth Advisor Mom” by Working Mother, and an Investment News “Woman to Watch”. She has contributed to various publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Crain’s Chicago Business, Family Lawyer Magazine and Divorce Magazine on topics ranging from how to protect an estate during a divorce to key financial considerations before signing a divorce settlement or prenuptial agreement. Through presentations including “The Financially Responsible Woman: Five Strategies for a Full Life” and “When I Do Becomes I Don’t: Five Strategies for a Financially Responsible Divorce, Heather educates women and men on how to transition through new phases of their life with confidence and peace of mind. You can reach Heather by email at [email protected].  The firm's website is www.bdfllc.com where you can find more information about Heather, BDF and the free resources that she mentioned on the podcast. Heather's Free Gift:  The first three listeners who reach out to Heather by email at [email protected] and put "The Divorce & Beyond Podcast" in the subject line will receiv