CDFS™ Certified Divorce Financial Specialist (800) 848-2029

IBF Designation Program

Certified Divorce Financial Specialist™

The designation for advisors who serve clients through the largest financial transaction of their lives. Asset valuation, settlement modeling, tax analysis, post-divorce planning. Not legal advice. The financial expertise the divorce team needs.

Take the Self-Assessment → Request the IBF Catalog

CDFS™

55–70 hrs

Study Hours

Self-Paced

Format

With Concierge Option

Book |Audio Roundtable |Visual Blueprint |Chapter Snapshot

Case Study Capstone

Proctored Online Exam

12-Month Completion Window

Overview

What you will learn

Divorce is the most financially complex event most clients will ever face, and the advisor who understands the process can prevent mistakes that take decades to fix. The CDFS™ program teaches you to work inside the divorce process as a financial specialist. Across 18 chapters, you will learn property classification, asset valuation, QDRO mechanics, tax treatment, and settlement modeling.

When you finish, you will know how to classify and trace community vs. separate property, value retirement plans and business interests for equitable division, model settlement scenarios that account for tax and cash flow, work with attorneys and mediators as a financial expert, and build a post-divorce financial plan that gives clients a clear path forward. This is the designation for advisors who want to serve clients at the moment they need financial guidance most.

“I am very happy with the program. Was very informative, and the people on the phone were very patient. I am very pleased overall, thank you.”

Vicente Raul Hernandez, CES™

Curriculum

What the program covers

Chapters

Modules

Reference Atlas

Module 1 · 9 Chapters

Divorce Financial Foundations

The legal framework and financial mechanics every divorce financial specialist must know.

The divorce process: legal framework for financial advisors

Property classification: community, equitable distribution, and separate property

Asset identification, valuation, and hidden asset discovery

QDROs and plan-specific rules for dividing retirement accounts

Tax fundamentals, spousal and child support analysis, and debt division

Module 2 · 9 Chapters

Divorce Financial Strategy

Advanced planning, settlement negotiation, and building a practice in divorce financial planning.

Digital assets in divorce: cryptocurrency, NFTs, and blockchain

Business valuation and real estate strategy in divorce

Settlement negotiation and scenario modeling

Post-divorce financial planning and life transitions

Special situations: military, gray, and high-net-worth divorce

Atlas

Earned at Graduation

CDFS Reference Atlas

Updated Annually

Built for Your Desk

View details ⌄

Included with your CDFS enrollment. Ships when you graduate.

The numbers advisors actually pull out in client meetings.

Data reference cards built for the desk, not the shelf. Updated annually with current property division frameworks, support calculations, and tax impact tables.

State property division frameworks on a single card

QDRO reference tables and settlement comparison templates

Post-divorce financial planning timelines and checklists

Printed on 100lb+ card stock, three-hole punched, full color

Final Card Designs in Production

2026 Edition

IBF CDFS Reference Atlas

Property Division Rules

By State

IBF CDFS Reference Atlas

QDRO Requirements

Plan Types

IBF CDFS Reference Atlas · 2026

Settlement Comparison and Tax Impact Analysis

Current Year

Want the full chapter breakdown? Talk to an Enrollment Advisor · Chat Now · (800) 848-2029

Explore the Program

See what the CDFS™ teaches before you enroll

Free tools and guides built by the same team that wrote the curriculum. No sales pitch. Just substance.

The Self-Assessment Series

Could You Advise a Client Through Divorce?

Ten questions that reveal whether your financial planning holds up when a marriage doesn’t.

Interactive · 2 min

Take the Quiz

The Practice Benchmark Series

When the Client Calls Mid-Divorce, Are You Ready?

25 scenarios across asset division, support calculations, and tax consequences. The call is coming. See if your answers hold up.

Interactive · 10 min

Start the Benchmark

The Practitioner Brief Series

The Financial Blind Spots of Divorce

The settlement that looks fair on paper but costs your client $200,000 over ten years. Most advisors can’t spot it.

PDF Guide · Free

Download the Brief

The Specialist’s Edge Series

What a Divorce Financial Specialist Sees

Same settlement offer. One advisor says take it. The other finds three problems worth $200,000.

PDF Guide · Free

Read the Analysis

1988

Established

501(c)(3)

Nonprofit

Designations

38 Years

Educating Advisors

Built For

Is this the right designation for you?

Financial Advisors

You want to add divorce financial planning as a high-value specialty that sets your practice apart.

Wealth Managers

You serve high-net-worth clients going through complex divorce proceedings and need the depth to protect them.

CPAs and Accountants

You already see the tax side of divorce. Now you want the full financial picture to expand into expert analysis.

What You Get

Everything you need to learn and pass

Books are the foundation. The digital materials cover the same ground in different formats, so you can start learning the day you enroll.

Chapter Books Series

Chapter Books

Core learning content for each chapter of your program.

2 volumes per program Included

Chapter Blueprints Series

Chapter Blueprints

Structured visual breakdowns that map each chapter's framework.

One per chapter Included

Chapter Snapshots Series

Chapter Snapshots

Visual one-page summaries with key data points and takeaways.

One per chapter Included

Chapter Roundtables Series

Chapter Roundtables

Audio discussions that bring each chapter's concepts to life.

One per chapter Included

Certification Process

How it works

Step One

Enroll

Step Two

Study

Work through chapters at your own pace. Most students finish in 2 to 4 months. You have 12 months to complete the program, with extensions available at an additional charge.

Step Three

Assessments

Two online proctored exams (one per module) plus a case study. Practice questions for every chapter help you prepare. Retakes available if needed.

Step Four

Certify

Use the CDFS™ designation on your business cards, LinkedIn, and client materials. Maintain with 30 CE credits every two years.

$1,495

One-time enrollment. Everything included.

All 18 chapters across 2 printed textbooks, shipped to you
Digital study materials: Roundtables, Blueprints, Snapshots
Practice questions for every chapter
Online proctored certification exam
Reference Atlas with annually updated data

Enroll Now →

“My experience with the Institute, and specifically Michele Miller and Francine Darling, has been exceptional. Michele was patient with my many questions for at least a year before I enrolled in the program. And I appreciated Francine's consistent check-ins to see how I was progressing in the course. From my perspective the year deadline is ideal. As someone in the financial services industry, whose workload carries a multitude of tasks, the length of the program gave me time to learn the material. I am excited to continue my investment education, and I will gladly share my IBF experience with others.”

Robyn Austin · CFS® Designee

From The Specialist's Desk

Divorce Planning

Post-Divorce Financial Planning: Rebuilding a Client's Financial Life

The divorce decree is not the finish line. It is the starting point for rebuilding two separate financial lives. This article walks through the immediate financial reset, housing decisions, insurance gaps, retirement recalculation, and the most commonly missed task: beneficiary designations.

Divorce Planning

Business Valuation in Divorce: What Advisors Need to Know Before the Expert Shows Up

Business valuations are the most contentious assets in divorce, and the gap between two experts' opinions can easily exceed 50%. You don't need to do the valuation yourself, but you need to know enough to spot problems, challenge manipulation, and translate the number into settlement options.

Divorce Planning

The Financial Advisor's Role in Divorce: Beyond Asset Division

A practitioner's guide to defining your role, setting scope boundaries, and navigating the emotional and professional dynamics of divorce financial work, with real-world scenarios showing when advisors add value and where they must refer clients to other specialists.