Gray Divorce Financial Specialist
Pensions, retirement accounts, real estate — Washington's 50/50 split requires expertise. This guide shows you 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 Spokane or Eastern Washington, custody battles aren't your concern—your children are grown, independent, or building careers elsewhere (perhaps on the West Side). Instead, you're navigating the financial complexity of dividing healthcare practice assets, real estate portfolios, retirement accounts, and accumulated wealth—all under Washington's community property rules with ZERO state income tax, in a much more affordable region than Seattle.
This is especially challenging if you've never personally managed household finances. Perhaps your spouse handled the medical practice, real estate investments, retirement accounts, or business finances while you focused on family and home. Now you're facing questions like:
Pensions. Retirement accounts. Real estate. Investments. Business interests. Even debt.
Washington is one of only 9 community property states. That means everything acquired during your marriage gets divided 50/50. No exceptions. No "well, I earned it so it's mine."
Your spouse has been managing these finances for decades. They understand the pension formulas, the retirement account values, the property equity calculations.
You're seeing these numbers for the first time — while negotiating a settlement that will determine your entire financial future.
Community property law isn't unfair. It's actually designed to protect you. But only if you understand what you're entitled to and what questions to ask.
The difference between understanding your rights and not? It can easily be $100,000-$300,000 in your final settlement.
Spokane has a strong healthcare sector with established practices:
Common Spokane healthcare assets:
Community property: Practices built during marriage are community property, divided 50/50 including equipment, patient lists, and goodwill.
Spokane's affordable real estate has attracted investors for decades:
Real estate portfolios built during marriage are community property and divided 50/50—with NO state capital gains tax when properties are sold.
Spokane's cost of living is dramatically lower than Seattle, affecting divorce planning:
Housing costs:
Post-divorce affordability: Can one spouse keep the Spokane home on a single income? Much more feasible than Seattle.
Like all Washington residents, Spokane benefits from zero state income tax:
This tax advantage makes Spokane retirement dollars stretch even further than its already-low cost of living suggests.
In Spokane, we work with clients divorcing after 20, 30, or 40+ years of marriage. Here's what makes gray divorce financially complex:
If your spouse built a medical or dental practice over 25-30 years, it may be worth $500K-$2M including:
Community property means 50/50 split, but does one spouse buy out the other, or is the practice sold?
Spokane investors often own multiple properties. Dividing fairly while managing rental income, property management, and capital gains requires sophisticated planning.
Post-divorce, Spokane offers advantages:
Many Spokane gray divorce clients face the question: stay in affordable Spokane or move closer to adult children who relocated to Seattle, California, or other metros?
Many of our Spokane clients—particularly spouses who didn't work in healthcare or real estate—have never personally managed practice finances, rental properties, or investment portfolios.
You're not alone: Practice and real estate finances are learnable. We help you understand what you have and how to manage it.
While our primary focus is gray divorce (50+ with grown children), some clients have high school or college-age children. Washington child support applies, but Spokane's lower incomes mean more modest amounts than Seattle. However, for most 50+ clients, children are independent.
As a Spokane resident, your divorce follows Washington community property law:
Maintenance (alimony): Courts consider statutory factors; duration varies but often substantial for long marriages.
Learn more about Washington divorce laws and community property →
We provide virtual divorce financial planning services throughout Spokane and Eastern Washington, 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 practice finances for years or you're learning about real estate portfolios for the first time, we provide the education and guidance you need.
Turn Panic Into Power — $97 Schedule a Strategy Session