Category: Divorce

Filing for divorce can be a chaotic and emotional time. In this period, valuable information could be glossed over, and key financial details can be missed. To ensure control over the divorce proceedings, you will want to collect all your financial documents and send them to an experienced financial advisor before you file. Before we tell you the financial documents you will need for your divorce proceedings, there are some general rules for collecting information: Now that you know some… Read more ›

It’s common in divorce cases that involve an interest in a closely held business for that investment to be the marital estate’s most valuable asset. In many states, when the owner-spouse brings this asset to the marriage, a specialist may be called upon to distinguish between active appreciation in the business’s value (which is generally subject to division) and passive appreciation (which generally isn’t). Appreciating the Difference Typically, when a spouse owns an interest in a closely held business before marriage, that interest is considered… Read more ›

Abbie Niehoff, senior divorce financial analyst at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, has been named treasurer of Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals (CDRP), a Washington, DC-area not-for-profit organization founded upon the principles of collaborative law. Niehoff, a years-long member of CDRP, focuses her practice on helping individuals, couples and their attorneys resolve the financial aspects of their divorce. Her experience in divorce financial planning and analysis includes collaborative, mediated, negotiated, and litigated divorce cases. She also helps couples preparing to get married… Read more ›

Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM) will serve as a gold sponsor of the 2023 spring symposium of the DC Academy of Collaborative Professionals (DCACP), an international network of legal, financial and mental health professionals who assist parties facing separation, divorce or other difficult matters in a non-adversarial process. The symposium will be held at the offices of Feldesman, Tucker, Leifer Fidell LLP in Washington, DC on Friday, April 28. The symposium theme, “The Lost Art of Asking: Finding Out What… Read more ›

Debora E. May, senior advisor at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM) and co-founder of May Barnhard Investments (MBI), the firm’s financial advisory subsidiary, was named to the Top Financial Advisors Hall of Fame by Washingtonian Magazine. The hall of fame, whose members were published in the February issue, includes advisors recognized by peers multiple times over the years since Washingtonian began publishing its top financial advisors list in 2009. May co-founded MBI to provide comprehensive financial planning, tax planning and… Read more ›

When a business owner is getting a divorce, determining the value of the business interest to include in the marital estate can be one of the most contentious and time-consuming issues. Rather than hire separate experts to duke it out in court, some spouses opt to hire one joint business valuation professional. Benefits for Both Spouses Here are some of the key advantages of hiring a joint expert: Cost. Both parties jointly pay the retainer and any incremental fees out… Read more ›

Jane Ochsman Rowny, CPA, CFP®, CDFA®, a partner at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM) and a director of the firm’s divorce and litigation practice group, will co-present on Thursday March 9 on the collaborative law process for the American University Washington College of Law. Rowny will co-present with collaborative attorneys Paul Smollar and Natalie Goldberg. Rowny regularly presents on matters related to divorce, tax and financial planning during significant life transitions including, most recently, “Maximizing the Magic of the Financial… Read more ›

Jamie S. Blum, CPA, CDFA®, senior divorce finance and litigation support manager at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM), will present on Friday, February 3, on the role of the financial neutral in collaborative divorce for the University of Maryland’s Francis King Carey School of Law. This is the second consecutive year that Blum has been invited to present for the law school. Blum is a regular speaker on matters related to divorce finance and litigation including, most recently, “Divorce 101… Read more ›

  Debora E. May and Aleksandr S. Seleznev, partners at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell and co-founders of May Barnhard Investments (MBI), the firm’s wealth management subsidiary, were named to Bethesda Magazine’s 2022 list of top financial advisors. Professionals named to this list were selected through a peer review process by other financial advisors in the region who were asked who they would entrust with their clients’ work if they were unavailable to handle it themselves. (Click here for a disclaimer.)… Read more ›

  Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM) will serve as bronze sponsor at a November 7 training seminar hosted by Howard County Collaborative Professionals (HCCP), a not-for-profit group of attorneys, financial professionals, mental health providers and other professionals specially trained in the collaborative process. The session, open to HCCP members and non-members at the Merriweather Lakehouse in Columbia, Maryland from 9 am to 3 pm, will feature Bill Eddy, a recognized industry expert on handling high-conflict cases and clients with high-conflict… Read more ›