• Divorce Workshop
    • Coping with Divorce
    • Financial Considerations of Divorce
    • Legal Challenges of Divorce
  • About Us
    • The Second Saturday Divorce Workshop Story
    • Our Presenters
  • Location
  • Registration
  • Blog
  • Videos
Print This Page Print This Page
HomeDivorce WorkshopAbout Second Saturday Wake County

About Second Saturday Wake County

https://www.secondsaturdaywakecounty.com/wp-content/uploads/Bob-Watral-Second-Saturday-aired-150507.mp4

 

Divorce Story – My Second Saturday Wake County Catalyst

In 2006, a 70 year old client shared with me the story of her daughter’s divorce. I’m really not sure why it struck a nerve with me. Maybe it was because her daughter was my age. Perhaps it was because I have two sisters. Or maybe it was because my wife and I have three daughters. I really couldn’t put my finger on it, but I found it upsetting.

The Discovery

In January, her daughter (who had been married for more than 20 years) approached her in tears. Fighting through the tears she said, “Mom, Bill and I are getting divorced.” “Why?” her mother asked. Her daughter said that she had received a document from the bank that she did not understand. When she called to ask what she had received, she was told that it was a tax form showing how much interest she and her husband had paid on a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) in 2005. She said, “I do not know what you’re talking about. We don’t have a second mortgage!”

Her daughter drove to the bank and demanded to see the HELOC paperwork. Sure enough, the Branch Manager showed her a loan application submitted 10 months prior. It had both her and her husband’s signatures on it. It was for a $100,000 line of credit. And she was told that the outstanding balance was $87,000. Her daughter was shocked and she told the manager that she had never seen the application before. She and the manager compared the signatures on the loan application with the signature on her driver’s license. They were a match! And her signature had even been notarized! She asked the manager for a copy of the paperwork and left.

The Confrontation

When her husband got home that night she put the paperwork on the kitchen table and said, “What is this? What have you done? How did my signature get on this paperwork that I have never even seen before?” He was speechless. Then she asked, “And what did you do with $87,000? I don’t see any new cars. I don’t see a new addition to our house. Where is the money?”

He had been caught. He told her, “Our marriage has been in trouble for several years. I became lonely and depressed. A friend at work helped me copy your signature onto the loan documents and he notarized our signatures. I used the money to pay for trips with women and buy them expensive gifts. I am so sorry!”

The Outcome

My client went on to tell me that her daughter soon afterwards contacted an attorney and filed for divorce. And although her husband had stolen money from her, she did not press charges. Her therapist helped her realize that her former husband would always be the father of her children. She did not want them to find out what their father had done. And even though she had not taken out the HELOC, she assumed that loan and all of their other debt, as part of their divorce settlement. (At least she did not have to pay him any alimony.)

The Change

Over the next year or so, I found myself revisiting this story over and over again. How could something like this happen to a woman with her Ph.D.? Could this ever happen to one of my daughters or to one of my sisters? Every time I read an article about divorce, or whenever I heard about another couple that had decided to divorce, I thought about the women in my life that were close to me. The pilot light had been lit! As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, I needed to find out how I could help woman like her.

I spent a lot of time talking with a close CPA friend of mine, Jon Strickland. (As an accounting professional, he performs business valuation work in preparation for divorce and testifies as an expert witness.) I vividly remember him telling me, “Bob, if you elect to travel down this path professionally, remember that the truth on these peoples’ issues always lies somewhere in the middle.”

Jon put me in touch with several Wake County family law / divorce attorneys. They were kind enough to field my questions about the financial implications of divorce. They told me that my client’s daughter’s “story” was not unique. A “violation of trust” issue is a very common catalyst for a divorce. Another theme they shared with me was one where one spouse keeps the other spouse “in the dark” about money. I even found out that there was a financial planning specialty in divorce, the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ designation. I obtained this designation and formally set off on my professional journey.

Several years later, I was introduced to Ginita Wall, CPA and Candace Bahr, CDFA, Co-Founders of Wife.org and the original Second Saturday Divorce Workshop program. All of us shared a passion for helping women like my client’s daughter. In January of 2014 they asked me if I would like to “lead the charge” in Wake County, NC for the Second Saturday divorce seminar program. I said, “Of course I would!” And on October 11, 2014 we were off and running!

Robert T. Watral, Jr. (Bob)
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner
Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™
Facilitator, Second Saturday Wake County
www.secondsaturdaywakecounty.com

Helping families in Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, RTP, and throughout the Triangle area, navigate the divorce process with positive outcomes. 

Facebook Google Reviews Twitter

News Categories

Location

All workshops are currently being held online. Please check here for details

Workshop Dates

Click to see Dates

Workshop Details

When:
The Second Saturday of each month

Registration:
Online

Workshop:
9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Cost:
No cost for online Workshop

Workshop Agenda

9:00-10:00 – Emotional Issues
Presented by a family therapist

10:00-11:00 – Financial Issues
Presented by a financial advisor

  • Preparing for separation and divorce
  • Dividing property
  • The tax consequence of divorce


11:00-12:00 –
Legal Issues
Presented by a divorce attorney

  • The divorce process and legal fees
  • Protecting yourself legally and financially
  • Child custody; child and spousal support

Beth H.

Great class – Thanks!

Nicole J.

Wow! All three of the presenters were very helpful.

Claudette W.

I may come back to hear it all again.

Jessica C.

The workshop gave me tools and resources to help me with my decision. Advertise more! This was a great workshop.

Audrey C.

The information provided will help me take control of my situation.

Pauline P.

Advertise more to get the word out.

Linda O.

All of the information was good. Great tips!

Roy C.

I thought the morning was well designed. All the presenters were very good.

Hilary R.

The workshop is an excellent resource.

Michelle D.

I got many of my questions answered.

Ruth M.

I got the information I needed to make a decision.

I am a planner by nature. I want to learn how to prepare for separation.

My husband abuses alcohol and I want sole custody of our twins. I also want to keep the house.

Will I have to pay him alimony? He has the ability to work (has an advanced degree) but he has not done so for several years.

I wish the session was longer. There is so much to know.

If only you would offer a follow-up class.

I wish I had attended several years ago.

T. S.

This workshop was priceless. I’m so grateful for all of you who volunteered your valuable personal time. You need to advertise more so people can take advantage of this valuable resource.

Lynn R.

Excellent information.

Jamie D.

The information provided was good, and there was plenty of time for questions.

Denise C.

It surpassed my expectations. Everything was pertinent and useful.

Louise A.

Excellent information and presentation. It was all very helpful.

Mary R.

All of it was beneficial.

Erin R.

I found the whole workshop very helpful and I am very glad that I attended it and I am so grateful that you coordinate it as I think that it's an important service. Thank you again for your help.

Matt

A great overview of the process. Just what I needed at this time.

Melissa

My Divorce Care leader suggested that I attend. It took me 6-7 months to get here. Everyone was so kind, knowledgeable and helpful – thank you!

Melissa

Thank you so much for everything on Saturday. So much of the content was helpful and valuable, and I feel better equipped to take the next sad but necessary steps. Sorry that I was "that girl" who was weepy through most of it LOL - but many of the things you said encouraged me to "buck up"...I loved the tape measure illustration you used, for example. I appreciate so much the time and resources that you volunteer to help people get through this difficult time. Warm Regards, Melissa

Barbara

Bob, I have referred a number of women to the workshop. I have been in practice nearly 40 years. It is a wonderful thing that you are doing. All of them tell me how much they appreciate the work you and your fellow volunteers are doing. So many women find themselves in such a difficult spot after saying, "Yes, dear" for 30 or 40 years. Please mail me a supply of brochures so that I can hand them out to clients. The fact that you sent me a thank you note for referring somebody to you was wonderful.

Jane T.

Thanks so much for an outstanding workshop. So much helpful info in one place! I really appreciated the overview from different perspectives; the handouts give us a lot to think about. Thank you for offering this valuable program. Will be spreading the word with clients, professionals, and contacts who could benefit. Thanks again!

Jane T.

Pam K.

Gave me info about separation and divorce and a comfortable feeling about how this will play out

Jennifer G

The speakers were so engaging and answered all the questions I needed to have answered. The financial content was most useful!

Kayla S.

The workshop was very useful. Many of my legal and financial questions were answered.

Erin W.

The Second Saturday of Wake County presenters offered great content and were very helpful!

I can't begin to explain you how much your help meant to me that day. I thank you from bottom of my heart.  It is surprising that while staying 20+ years with a person like my husband, I am still hopeful and have faith in people because of such experiences. Thank you again, and yes I will bother you and come to you as we move forward.

Rob

"What an amazing workshop and service to the community!"

Minal

"The Second Saturday workshop was so helpful and it gave me a lot of confidence. The financial information and resources provided will be so useful."

Sandy

"I found the three main presenters all had a lot of useful information. Breaking down the basics is so helpful if someone is beginning this process - especially the options for legal issues."

Sandy

"I was given hope and direct information."

Tamara

"This information will give me what I need to make a good decision."

Elitza

"All the information was very interesting and useful."

Martha

Exceeded expectations! So very helpful and great advice!

109 North Boylan Ave * Raleigh, NC 27603 * (919) 303-2020

Website maintained by Second Saturday

Second Saturday Divorce Workshop