This is a part of the Parents Forever curriculum developed specifically for divorcing and never-been-married parents. It gives an overview of the money issues parents typically experience during divorce. This booklet was newly revised and redesigned in 2011 and now features more worksheets for parents.

Contents

Part 1: Money Changes in Divorce

• Introduction (284 K PDF)
• Adjusting to Money Changes
• Identifying the Consequences of Money Changes
• Recognizing Grief Over Money Changes
• Preparing for the Changes
• How Do You Spend Your Money?
• Tracking Your Spending Patterns (162 K PDF)
• Tracking How Money Is Used
• Determining Seasonal or Periodic Expenses
• Fixed and Flexible Monthly Payments
• Calendar for Tracking Household Spending Patterns
• Reassessing How You Spend Money
• Money Goals
• Setting New Goals
• Three Stages to Setting Child-Centered Goals
• Reassessing Goals Due to Money Changes
  • Identifying How Goals Will Be Adjusted (68 K PDF)
  • Putting Goals Into Action
• Talking with Children About Money
  • Money Talk, Family Style
• Money Conflicts
• Six Steps to Managing Conflict
  • Working Through a Conflict
• When Conflict Management Is Not Possible Conclusion
• Conclusion

Part 2: The Costs of Raising Children

• Introduction (39 K PDF)
• Divorce and the Costs of Raising Children
• The Importance of Understanding the Costs of Raising Children
• Starting to Estimate the Cost of Raising Children
• Categories for Estimating the Costs of Raising Children
• Case Study: Using Yearly Costs Tables
  • Table 1. Yearly Costs for a Two-Parent Family
  • Table 2. Yearly Costs for a One-Parent Family
• Case Study: Estimating Monthly Costs of Raising Children
• Making Adjustments for the Number of Children
• When Adjustments are Needed
  • Table 3. Adjustment for Number of Children in Family (Economies of Scale Table)
• Case Study: Adjusting for Two Children
• Comparing the Cost Estimates for Raising Children
• Case Study: Comparing the Cost of Raising Children and Child Support Estimate
• Case Study Review Questions
• Estimating the Costs of Raising Your Children (36 K PDF)
• Monthly Cost Estimates for Raising My Children (33 K PDF)
  • Table 4. Monthly Housing Costs by Family Type and Income Level (52 K PDF)
  • Table 5. Monthly Food Costs by Family Type and Income Level
  • Table 6. Monthly Transportation Costs by Family Type and Income Level
  • Table 7. Monthly Clothing Costs by Family Type and Income Level
  • Table 8. Monthly Health Care Costs by Family Type and Income Level
  • Table 9. Monthly Childcare and Education Costs by Family Type and Income Level
  • Table 10. Monthly Miscellaneous Costs by Family Type and Income Level
• Comparing My Cost of Raising Children and Child Support Estimates
• Preparing for Unplanned Changes
• Additional Resources
• Cost of Raising a Child Calculator
• Other Online Resources
• Conclusion

Money Decision Making Guides

• Financial Separation in Divorce
• Money Facts Checklist
• Debt Load
• Establishing Debt Load
• Homeowners Decisions
• Homeowner Decisions Guide
• Retirement Benefits: An Introduction
• Retirement Benefits Summary
• Assets: Savings and Investments
• Tracking Savings and Investments (Assets)
• Protecting Children Against Future Risks (53 K PDF)
• Summary of Insurance Policies (29 K PDF)

For Parents Forever Instructors

Save by ordering this booklet in a Parents Forever package:

• Parents Forever: Education for Families in Divorce Transition (with DVD)
• Parents Forever: Complete Set of Parent Handbooks

Save 20% on orders of 100 or more, or 25% on orders of 300 or more!

An older version of this booklet is available online in Spanish:

• Padres para siempre: Guia para los padres en divorcio y dineros (Parents Forever: Money Issues in Divorce Parent Handbook — Spanish).

See the related program: Parents Forever