Most divorce decisions are made without financial clarity

Divorce is often approached as a legal process.  But long after documents are signed, it is the financial decisions that shape:

• where you live
• how you live
• what your future holds

I am Jessica M. Garcia, MBA, CDFA®.  I work at the intersection of finance and divorce—helping individuals and couples understand the financial decisions in front of them before they are finalized.

The Financial Mind Behind the Work

With more than 20 years of experience in banking, investments, and financial strategy—including my career at Bank of America, and predecessor banks—I bring a grounded, real-world understanding of how money moves through households, businesses, and long-term planning.

But this work is not just about numbers.  It is about understanding:

• how financial decisions ripple across families
• how structure creates stability
• and how clarity changes the way people move forward

Long before I focused exclusively on divorce, I saw the consequences of financial decisions made without full understanding. And I also saw what becomes possible when those decisions are made with intention.

A Different Role in the Divorce Process

Most people enter divorce through a legal lens.

My role is different.

I work alongside that process—bringing financial structure, analysis, and perspective to decisions that are often made too quickly and without full clarity.

I serve clients in two distinct ways:

• Advisory — working directly with individuals to help them understand their financial picture and options
• Neutral — working with couples in a mediation setting to support informed, transparent decision-making

I also collaborate with attorneys, mediators, and structured divorce processes when financial clarity is needed as part of a broader team.

How I Work

I do not tell clients what to do.  I help them understand what they are deciding.

Together, we:

• organize financial information
• analyze options and outcomes
• create structure around complex decisions
• move from uncertainty to informed choice

This work is thoughtful, collaborative, and grounded in respect for the complexity of this transition.

Clients leave not just with answers—but with a clearer understanding of their financial future.

Who I Work With

I work with women and men who:

• want to make thoughtful, informed financial decisions
• understand that divorce is a financial turning point
• value clarity over speed
• prefer a structured, private approach

Many of my clients are navigating this process for the first time—and want to do it well.

Why This Work Matters

Financial decisions made during divorce are rarely reversible.

And yet, many are made:

• quickly
• emotionally
• without full understanding

Clarity changes that.

When you understand the numbers—and what they mean—
you make different decisions. More informed decisions.

Education & Professional Credentials

• MBA — McColl School of Business, Queens University of Charlotte
• BA in American Studies & Business, Queens College, Charlotte

Divorce Credentials & Affiliations

• CDFA®️ Certified Divorce Financial Analyst
• CDC®️ Certified Divorce Coach
• Collaborative Family Law Training (IACP)
• Family Financial Mediation Training — Carolina Dispute Settlement Services

Additional Certifications

• DFC™ Divorce Financial Coach
• CDFC™ Certified Divorce Financial Coach
• CDP™ CDP Divorce Practitioner™
• CDRC™ Certified Dispute Resolution Coach

Past Licenses (no longer active)

• NC Real Estate Sales License
• NC Health & Life Insurance License
• FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, 65, 66

Speaking & Teaching Engagements

• Second Saturday Financial Presenter — 2018-2026
• CDC College of Divorce Coaches Financial Instructor — 2021-2026
• Second Saturday - Emotions of Divorce Coach Presenter (2025)
• Dodging Divorce Disasters Podcast with Lori Hawkins (2025)
• Women & Money Financial Literacy Workshop — Cary Chamber of Commerce (2024)
• Working with CDFA Podcast — Jamie Milam (2024)
• Age Slayer Podcast — Traci Butz (2021)
• Spectrum News Interview — Being a Divorce Coach (2021)
• “The 4 Paths to Divorce” Article — Two Families Law (2017)
• CDFA in Divorce Video — New Direction Law (2016)