Clairwell Financial Planning

Transformation. Magic.

Those may not be the first words that come to mind when you think about financial planning—but they are exactly what I witness in my work every day.

Beyond helping clients through divorce and other midlife transitions, I want to be the advisor I wish I’d had when I divorced.

Most of my clients are women who find themselves suddenly responsible for financial decisions they were never previously invited into—or encouraged to master. Divorce, widowhood, caregiving, or other life transitions can thrust women into independence at the very moment they feel least prepared for it. When you were raised in an environment that minimized your agency or excluded you from financial decision-making, taking full responsibility for your financial life can feel overwhelming—sometimes even frightening.

Despite having worked in the financial industry for years, and despite initiating my own divorce, the process of dismantling my life—my home, my children’s routines, my financial security, my social circle, all at the same time that my mom went into hospice and later died—was the most difficult experience I have ever endured. The nearly two years between saying “I want a divorce” and reaching a final settlement broke me apart in ways I could never have anticipated.

No one should go through that alone.

When I sit across from a woman facing divorce—carrying fear, grief, anger, and uncertainty—I hold space for all of it. And I tell her the truth:

This will be hard. It will likely take longer than you want it to. But it will not last forever. And you will not go through it alone.

As we talk through the questions that keep her up at night—
Will I be okay financially?
Do I even know what we own?
Can I afford to stay in my home?
What will my lifestyle look like?
What happens to retirement, to the future I thought I had?

—I hold two things at once: the memory of my own divorce, and the knowledge she doesn’t yet have. That she is capable of far more than she realizes. That clarity will replace chaos. That fear will soften as a new financial picture takes shape. That she will eventually build a life she chose—intentionally—and loves deeply.

We start with the basics: cash flow.
Then asset division, support, and settlement decisions.
We move through the divorce—finally.

And when the dust settles, we begin again.
Thoughtfully. Strategically. On her terms.

Cash flow. Goals. Investment strategy. Tax planning. Wealth building. Retirement income. Legacy.

This is where the magic begins to reveal itself.

Women who once believed finances were “not their thing” discover that they are fully capable stewards of their wealth. They become confident decision-makers. They trust themselves. They know they can navigate uncertainty—because they already have.

This Substack is for women in transition. For those rebuilding after loss or change. For those who want clarity, steadiness, and agency in their financial lives.

And for those ready to discover just how strong they already are.