Divorce Mortgage Planning: A Professional Discipline
Divorce Mortgage Planning is a professional discipline that bridges the gap between family law, real property division, and mortgage financing. It focuses on evaluating how housing decisions made during divorce—such as keeping, refinancing, or selling the marital home—align with mortgage lending guidelines and long-term financial stability.
Professionals trained in this discipline understand both the legal and financial complexities surrounding real property in divorce and work collaboratively with attorneys, mediators, financial professionals, and real estate experts to help ensure that settlement decisions involving the home are practical, financeable, and sustainable.
The Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®) designation represents specialized training in this discipline.
Why This Discipline Matters in Divorce
For many divorcing couples, the marital home is the largest asset—and often the most emotionally complex decision in the entire settlement.
Yet housing decisions in divorce are frequently made without fully understanding mortgage financing requirements, lending guidelines, or the long-term financial impact of those decisions.
As a result, many divorce settlements include housing arrangements that later prove difficult—or even impossible—to finance.
Divorce Mortgage Planning addresses this gap.
By evaluating how divorce settlements interact with mortgage qualification, real property division, and future housing options, professionals trained in this discipline help ensure that decisions involving the home are strategic, sustainable, and aligned with real-world financing outcomes.
The Divorce Lending Association was created to advance this discipline and to support the professionals who help families navigate one of the most important financial transitions of their lives.
Learn more about the CDLP® certification and the professionals leading this discipline.
Industry Recognition and Professional Collaboration
The work of the Divorce Lending Association and the development of the Divorce Mortgage Planning discipline have been recognized across the mortgage, financial, and divorce professional communities.

Advancing the Discipline of Divorce Mortgage Planning
The Divorce Lending Association advances the discipline of Divorce Mortgage Planning and promotes professional standards that help ensure housing decisions in divorce are strategically aligned with mortgage financing realities.
As the professional association representing this discipline, the Divorce Lending Association supports professionals working at the intersection of divorce, real property division, and mortgage financing through education, collaboration, and professional resources.
At the center of this work is the Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®) certification—the credential for mortgage professionals trained in this specialized discipline.
In addition to certification, the Divorce Lending Association promotes divorce housing strategy, a structured approach to evaluating the financial, legal, and mortgage implications of housing decisions during divorce.
The House Is Often the Most Complicated Asset in Divorce
For many divorcing couples, the marital home represents more than an asset—it represents equity, stability, debt, and future financial security.
Unfortunately, housing decisions are often made during divorce negotiations without a full understanding of mortgage financing realities, tax implications, or long-term affordability.
The Divorce Lending Association was created to address this gap by bringing housing strategy into the divorce conversation.
Through professional education, collaboration, and strategic planning tools, DLA helps ensure that housing decisions during divorce are informed, realistic, and financially sustainable.
Divorce Mortgage Planning & Real Estate Blog
Become a Real Estate Mediation Specialist
Divorce Real Estate and Mortgage Training for mediation support.
View DetailsGet CDLP® Certified (Certified Divorce Lending Professional)
Ready to elevate your career? Discover how CDLP® certification can transform your business with specialized expertise in Divorce Mortgage Planning. Click the link to learn more and take the first step toward becoming a trusted expert in this growing niche!
View DetailsAllied Professional Resources
Become an Allied Professional with the Divorce Lending Association and access specialized education, resources, and a supportive community. Enhance your expertise in divorce mortgage planning and make a difference in the lives of divorcing clients.
View DetailsLooking for a strong CDLP® in your area?
A Certified Divorce Lending Professional brings the financial knowledge and expertise of a solid understanding of the connection between divorce and family law, financial and tax planning, and mortgage planning strategies as they all relate to real property and mortgage financing in a divorce situation.
Find a CDLP®Looking for an Allied Professional in Your Area?
Find an Allied Professional
Get CDLP® Certified Today!
The Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®) Certification prepares you to become an integral member of the professional divorce team by providing you with the required background knowledge base, business model, and ongoing marketing and support.
Get Certified TodayLooking for a Real Estate Mediation Specialist (REM-S™) in Your Area?
Find a REM-S™FAQs
Consumer
- Can I just assume the existing mortgage on our family home?
- Why does divorce change the way I got a mortgage in the past?
- Why is Perspective so important in your divorce case?
- Do you offer education resources for divorcing homeowners?
Educational Articles
02
05
05