Book Review: Divorce by Design by Melissa Murphy Pavone, CFP®, CDFA®
Back to Divorce Guide Magazine →
If there's one book we wish had existed during every difficult client conversation we've witnessed — and frankly, during every conversation we've had with friends navigating the unraveling of a marriage — it's Divorce by Design by Melissa Murphy Pavone.
Let us be direct: this book is essential. Not "useful," not "a solid resource." Essential.
Melissa brings something rare to the crowded space of divorce guidance — she combines the rigor of a Certified Financial Planner and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® with the genuine warmth of someone who understands that behind every balance sheet is a person trying not to drown. The result is a book that is both practically brilliant and deeply human.
What makes Divorce by Design stand apart is its philosophy. Melissa argues — convincingly and with evidence — that divorce doesn't have to be a war. By assembling the right team of financial experts, mediators, attorneys, and therapists from the start, readers can move through this process smarter, faster, and fairer. Often, she notes, in under a year. That alone should get your attention.
The financial guidance here is specific, actionable, and insider-level. Melissa surfaces the hidden pitfalls that derail people's futures long after the ink dries — the mistakes most people don't even know to avoid until it's too late. She hands readers a map through terrain that usually only professionals can see.
We've read a lot of books in this space. None have managed to be this clear-eyed and compassionate simultaneously. Whether you're facing divorce yourself, supporting someone who is, or working in an adjacent field, Divorce by Design belongs on your shelf — and more importantly, in your hands.
