When going through a divorce, few financial tools are as important—or as misunderstood—as the lifestyle analysis. At My Divorce Solution, we use this powerful tool to help clients move beyond vague estimates or one-sided financial assumptions, and into the realm of objective, comprehensive financial clarity.
Understanding the Lifestyle Analysis
A lifestyle analysis is a systematic, data-driven review of what it actually costs to maintain the standard of living enjoyed during the marriage. Unlike self-reported budgets, which often rely on memory or aspirational figures, a lifestyle analysis tracks real spending habits using documents such as bank statements, credit card transactions, and tax returns.
This analysis captures the full picture—monthly necessities and annual outliers alike—so nothing slips through the cracks.
What a Lifestyle Analysis Includes
A lifestyle analysis isn’t just about totals. It’s about transparency and specificity. We break down spending across dozens of categories, such as:
- Housing and utilities
- Groceries and dining
- Transportation and car maintenance
- Childcare, tuition, and extracurriculars
- Healthcare and insurance premiums
- Subscriptions and digital services
- Gifts, travel, pet expenses, and seasonal costs
- Memberships, fitness, and personal care
We also identify irregular expenses like annual dues, major repairs, or holiday traditions that often go unaccounted for—but are part of the family’s true financial footprint.
Why It’s Essential in Divorce Asset Division
Dividing assets fairly isn’t just about what’s owned—it’s about what’s needed.
Here’s how a lifestyle analysis supports the asset division process:
- Clarifies financial reality: Shows how much each spouse actually needs to maintain stability.
- Supports negotiations: Provides an evidence-based argument for spousal or child support.
- Reveals gaps: Identifies disparities between income and expenses, helping guide post-divorce planning.
- Protects future interests: Projects ongoing and future financial needs like college tuition or aging parent care.
It can also uncover areas of financial imbalance—such as when one spouse has been managing the household spending while the other is unaware of actual costs.
How We Integrate Lifestyle Analysis at My Divorce Solution
As part of our Divorce Financial Portrait™, we work with you to conduct a thorough lifestyle analysis for each client tha reflects real-life financial needs and habits.
We then help translate that data into meaningful insights that inform:
- Equitable asset division
- Support discussions
- Long-term financial planning
- Clear documentation for attorneys or mediators
Our goal is to remove guesswork, reduce conflict, and make sure both parties walk away with a full understanding of what their financial futures actually require.
Bottom Line
A lifestyle analysis doesn’t just say “you spend about $5,000 a month.” It breaks it down into the specific line items and spending behaviors that define your life—so that when it’s time to divide assets and move forward, you’re doing it from a place of clarity, fairness, and fact.
If you’re facing divorce and need support making sense of your financial picture, My Divorce Solution is here to help. A lifestyle analysis is just one part of our comprehensive process to help you navigate divorce with confidence and stability.
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