Membership Criteria

We encourage you to thoroughly read, the detailed criteria for membership in ADFP found in the ADFP Member Handbook. 

Here is a summary of the requirements:

There are two (2) classes of ADFP membership, Members and Associate Members.

Members are divorce financial planning practitioners, who are actively or seek to be actively engaged in providing financial services to clients and attorneys in matters of divorce. Compensation for divorce financial services must be on a fee-for-service basis and not include product sales.

Members must have one of the approved financial planning or tax-related designations, AND successfully completed one of the approved divorce financial planning course of study programs.

Members must have three (3) years of financial planning work experience AND have successfully completed at least five (5) comprehensive divorce financial planning engagements. Substantially equivalent experience may be considered at the request of the applicant.

Members must also agree to uphold and abide by ADFP Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and the Practice and Professional Standards established by ADFP in addition to the ethics and standards required by any other licensing or certification board to which they are subject.

Members must attain a minimum of 15 divorce-related continuing education credits each year in ADFP-approved divorce financial planning-related programs. Two credit hours in ADFP ethics are required every two years.

Associate Members have a professional interest in divorce financial planning. They are, for example, studying to become or contemplating becoming divorce financial planning practitioners, are financial educators or otherwise provide adjunct, specialized or supporting services to the divorce financial planning community.

Associate Members must clearly identify themselves as Associate Members in all written, electronic or verbal communications that make reference to their membership in ADFP and must not engage in any activity that might lead the public to conclude that they have been accredited by ADFP as practitioner Members.

Associate Members must also agree to uphold and abide by ADFP Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and the Practice and Professional Standards established by ADFP in addition to the ethics and standards required by any other licensing or certification board to which they are subject.