You Deserve to Understand Your Own Divorce
Divorce in your 50s or 60s is different from divorce at 30. The stakes are higher. Retirement is closer. The assets accumulated over decades of marriage are suddenly on the table. And in the middle of all of it, you're being asked to make decisions that will shape the rest of your financial life — often without anyone explaining what any of it actually means.
My name is Jonathan Kesselman. I'm a former attorney, a Certified Financial Planner®, and one of a relatively small number of advisors who holds the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® designation. I work specifically with women navigating divorce — not as a neutral mediator, but as your advocate. My role is to make sure you understand what's being proposed, whether it's truly fair on an after-tax basis, and what your financial future actually looks like on the other side.
If You're Going Through Divorce, You're Probably Asking:
Is the proposed settlement actually fair — in real, after-tax dollars?
How should retirement accounts and pensions be divided?
What happens to Social Security benefits after divorce?
Should I keep the house, or would downsizing serve me better?
How do I protect my financial future during the process?
Will I have enough to retire comfortably on my own?
How do I rebuild a financial plan that reflects my life now?
These aren't just financial questions. They're questions about your independence, your security, and your future. They deserve real answers — in plain English.
What Working Together Actually Looks Like
As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, I bring a specialized skill set to the financial side of divorce that most financial advisors simply don't have. I understand how assets are divided, how QDROs work, how different settlement structures compare on an after-tax basis, and how the decisions made today connect to the retirement you're planning for tomorrow.
But the credential isn't what my clients remember most.
The women I work with often tell me the same thing: they felt like they were signing documents in a language they didn't speak, without anyone to translate. That changes the moment we start working together. I've worked with women who discovered their proposed settlement was more equitable than they realized once we looked at the after-tax values. I've worked with women who discovered the opposite. Either way, they made their decision knowing exactly what they were agreeing to.
My approach is simple: I talk less about strategy and more about your life. I ask more questions than I answer. And when it comes to the big decisions — the house, the retirement accounts, the spousal support — my job is not to tell you what you can't have. It's to find a solution that actually works for your life going forward.
I work with women navigating divorce across Northeast Ohio and across the country. Some come to me at the very beginning of the process. Others reach out after a settlement has been proposed and want a second opinion before signing. Wherever you are, I'm honored to be a resource.
To New Beginnings: The Financial Guide for Women 55+ Navigating Divorce
If you're going through divorce and trying to understand the financial decisions ahead, I created this guide specifically for you. It walks through the most common financial questions women face during this transition — written in plain English, without jargon.
Inside you'll find clear guidance on dividing retirement accounts, understanding Social Security after divorce, evaluating housing decisions, and building a financial plan for your next chapter.
We'll send your guide straight to your inbox. The emails that follow are designed to be genuinely helpful — not a sales pitch. You're in control and can unsubscribe at any time.
How We Support Women Through Divorce
Working with a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® during this process can make a meaningful difference — not just in the outcome of your settlement, but in how informed and supported you feel along the way.
Specifically we can help you:
Evaluate proposed settlement structures and what they mean in real, after-tax dollars
Analyze retirement accounts, pensions, and QDROs to make sure assets are divided correctly
Understand the long-term implications of keeping or selling the family home
Develop a Social Security strategy that reflects your post-divorce situation
Build a realistic budget and income plan for your life going forward
Review and update estate planning documents and beneficiary designations after the divorce is final
Begin building a comprehensive financial plan for your next chapter
I also work collaboratively alongside your divorce attorney — not to duplicate their role, but to make sure the financial and legal sides of your settlement are working together.
Ready to Have Someone in Your Corner?
A 15-minute conversation costs nothing and could change everything.