Rebuilding
Divorcing Dana
Marketing Director (returning to workforce) · Chicago, IL
Splitting assets, rebuilding solo. The math is harder than the marriage was.
About Divorcing Dana
Dana stepped out of her marketing career twelve years ago to raise their daughter, and now at 44 she is returning to a job market that has moved on without her — at $85k, roughly half what she would be earning if she had never left. The divorce splits $300k in home equity and $280k in retirement assets down the middle, but the real divide is harder to quantify: he kept his career trajectory, and she has a 12-year-old, a stale resume, and a single income that has to rebuild a two-income life from scratch.
Financial Snapshot
$85,000
Annual Income
$300,000 (splitting)
Net Worth
44
Age
Divorcing Dana's Story — 6 Episodes
The Career Re-Entry Trajectory
Dana is 9 months into her return to marketing and gets a performance review with a path to $105k within 2 years. She models her full financial trajectory: salary growth, retirement catch-up contributions after 50, and the date her net worth crosses $500k solo.
Uses: salary-jumpRebuilding the Emergency Fund
After legal fees and moving costs, Dana's emergency fund is down to $4,800 — barely one month of expenses. She needs to rebuild to 6 months ($25,200) while also restarting retirement contributions. The prioritization model reveals a surprising split.
Uses: emergency-fundThe Child Support Math
Dana's settlement includes $2,200/month in child support until her daughter turns 18 — six more years. She models what happens when that income disappears and how to prepare for the $26,400/year cliff.
Uses: emergency-fundThe QDRO Split
Dana's divorce decree awards her $140k from her ex-husband's 401(k) via a Qualified Domestic Relations Order. She must decide: roll it into an IRA, leave it in the plan, or take a partial distribution to cover legal fees. The tax consequences differ wildly.
Uses: roth-vs-traditionalThe Solo Budget
For the first time in 16 years, Dana is building a budget for one. Her household expenses were $11,000/month. Her solo income is $5,600/month after taxes. Something has to change.
Uses: fireThe Asset Split
Dana and her attorney are negotiating the division of $300k in home equity, $280k in combined retirement accounts, and $35k in joint savings. She models three scenarios: keep the house, sell and split, or trade equity for retirement assets.
Uses: rent-vs-buy