Gray Divorce Financial Specialist
Pensions, retirement accounts, real estate — the financial stakes at 50+ are higher than ever. This guide shows you exactly what to protect.
Leanne Ozaine, CDFA® & CFP® | Specializing in gray divorce for 50+
Turn Panic Into Power — $97If you're over 50 and facing divorce in Buffalo or Western New York, custody battles aren't your concern—your children are grown, independent, or building careers elsewhere (perhaps after leaving Western NY). Instead, you're navigating the financial complexity of dividing manufacturing pensions, healthcare practice assets, real estate, and retirement accounts accumulated over decades in Western New York.
This is especially challenging if you've never personally managed household finances. Perhaps your spouse handled the pension from General Motors or Ford, medical practice finances, or retirement accounts while you focused on family and home. Now you're facing questions like:
Here's what nobody tells you: A "fair" settlement can still leave you struggling.
50/50 sounds equal. But if you take the house and your spouse takes the 401(k), only one of you has retirement income. A pension isn't cash. Tax treatment turns "half" into 40% or 60% depending on which half you take.
Your lawyer knows the law. They don't know what you'll live on for the next 30 years.
Most people sign their settlement while still in emotional shock. The brain is in survival mode — the prefrontal cortex that makes rational decisions is literally offline. By the time the fog lifts, the settlement is final.
You need someone whose only job is protecting your financial future — not billable hours, not legal posturing. Someone who can show you exactly what different settlement scenarios mean for your life 5, 10, 25 years from now.
Buffalo's industrial heritage means many 50+ residents have traditional manufacturing pensions:
Common pensions:
Traditional pensions provide lifetime income but require specialized division orders, and survivor benefit decisions critically affect the non-employee spouse's security.
Buffalo has a strong healthcare sector (Buffalo General, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, University at Buffalo Medical School). Healthcare professionals often have:
New York's unique rule: professional licenses ARE marital property. If you supported your spouse through UB medical or dental school, you're entitled to compensation beyond just dividing the practice value.
Buffalo real estate is far more affordable than downstate New York, but this affects divorce planning:
Suburban Buffalo homes:
Lower property taxes than downstate: Buffalo-area property taxes are lower than NYC metro but still $6K-$15K/year on typical homes.
Post-divorce affordability: Can one spouse keep the home on Buffalo's modest salary levels compared to NYC?
Many Buffalo gray divorce clients face the question: stay in Buffalo or move closer to adult children who relocated for careers?
In Buffalo and Western NY, we work with clients divorcing after 20, 30, or 40+ years of marriage. Here's what makes gray divorce financially complex:
If your spouse worked at GM, Ford, or another manufacturer for 25-35 years, the pension may be your most valuable asset:
Buffalo's cost of living is much lower than NYC, but incomes are also lower. Post-divorce budgets require realistic planning based on Buffalo's economy, not NYC or Westchester wealth.
Buffalo healthcare practices are valuable but worth less than comparable NYC practices due to lower patient volumes and fees. Still, a 30-year medical practice may be worth $500K-$2M.
Many of our Buffalo clients—particularly spouses who didn't work in manufacturing—have never personally navigated union pension systems, PBGC protections, or survivor benefit elections.
You're not alone: Manufacturing pension systems are complex, but learnable. We help you understand what you're entitled to and how to access it.
While our primary focus is gray divorce (50+ with grown children), some clients have high school or college-age children. New York child support applies, but Buffalo's lower incomes mean more modest amounts than NYC. However, for most 50+ clients, children are independent.
As a Buffalo resident, your divorce follows New York equitable distribution law:
Maintenance (alimony): Formula-based with duration guidelines. After 30-year marriage, expect 10.5-15 years, not permanent.
Learn more about New York divorce laws and professional licenses →
We provide virtual divorce financial planning services throughout Western New York, including:
The 5-step system that shows you what you'll actually live on, so you stop guessing and start knowing.
Calculate your real post-divorce income — including spousal support, assets, and earning potential — so you negotiate from facts, not fear.
Document gathering checklists tell you exactly what to bring to your attorney — so you walk in prepared, not panicked.
Map out your real expenses as a single person — before you fight for something you can't actually maintain.
The asset identification system helps you find accounts and property you might not even know exist.
22-page guide + video tutorials + checklists + templates
$97
Instant access. 100% money-back guarantee.
Get the Clarity You Need — $97Whether you've managed pension benefits for years or you're learning about pension division for the first time, we provide the education and guidance you need.
Turn Panic Into Power — $97 Schedule a Strategy Session