Find services you may need during divorce

Find help beyond your divorce lawyer—from selling a home and planning your finances to moving, storage and emotional support in San Diego County.

Five things to keep straight

  • Private designations such as CDFA, CDRE and CDLP are issued by private organisations. They do not replace government licenses, which you can check with California boards and federal databases.
  • A mediator is neutral and is not either spouse's legal advocate. A collaborative divorce uses a team in which each spouse keeps their own attorney.
  • Counseling is not coaching. A treating therapist is not a custody evaluator.
  • Retirement division depends on the specific plan. A QDRO is not the right document for every account.
  • Estate plan changes during a pending case should be coordinated with divorce counsel because of the standard restraining orders.

Money and property

  • Divorce financial planning: A financial specialist models how a proposed settlement plays out over years, not just on the day it is signed.
    • WellSpring Divorce Advisors (Provider, San Diego County office): Divorce financial planning provider with an office in Carlsbad, San Diego County. Official website. Office contact shown on official site: 858-800-4176, JReckers@wellspringdivorce.com, 703 Palomar Airport Rd., Suite 240, Carlsbad, CA 92011. Confirm credentials, fees and whether the engagement fits your case before sharing documents. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Forensic accounting: A forensic accountant traces money, reconstructs income and values businesses when the numbers are disputed or unclear.
    • FTI Consulting, Inc. (Provider): Global consulting firm with forensic and financial advisory practices. Official website. We have not verified family-law assignments or a local service team; confirm your case’s scope and availability directly. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Retirement division and QDROs: Retirement benefits are usually divided by a separate order that the plan itself must accept. One size does not fit every account.
    • TOVA QDRO and Retirement Valuators (Provider): Official site describes QDRO preparation and pension estimate services. Official website. Mailing address only, no walk-ins (new inquiries through the official contact page): 329 S. Oyster Bay Road, Suite #569, Plainview, NY 11803. Works nationwide virtually; not a San Diego office. Start new inquiries through the official contact page. Confirm it handles your particular plan type and California orders. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Divorce real estate agents: When the house is at the center of a settlement, an agent who can stay neutral and communicate with both spouses matters.
  • Divorce mortgage planning: Before agreeing to keep the house, find out whether you can actually qualify to refinance it on your own.
    • Divorce Lending Association (Training and designation): Credentialing and education network behind the Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP) designation. Official website. Not a direct lender. Verify any individual loan originator on NMLS Consumer Access. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Estate planning updates: Your estate plan probably still names your spouse. Some changes are restricted while a divorce is pending, so coordinate first.
  • Property appraisals: A licensed appraiser gives a formal opinion of value, which matters when one spouse keeps the home or value is disputed.
    • KO Appraisal, Kevin O'Brien (Provider): Residential and commercial valuations across San Diego County, including divorce appraisals. Official website. Business website contact; no walk-in office verified: 760-516-1332. Official divorce appraisal services. California Certified General license 3005065 — check current record. Confirm current credential status, property coverage, fees, valuation date and report requirements. This listing does not establish current active licensure or court acceptance. Source checked 2026-11-06.
    • Advanced Real Estate Appraisal, Don Lowe (Provider): Residential appraisals across San Diego County, including divorce valuations and family buyouts. Official website. Published business contact/address; confirm before visiting: 760-525-9350, lowe.don@gmail.com, 2747 Waterbury Way, Carlsbad, CA 92010. Supplied California appraisal license AR034226; current active status has not been verified. Confirm credentials with California BREA, fees, availability and the scope your attorney needs. Source checked 2026-11-06.
    • Approved Appraisals, Matthew J. Rodgers (Provider): San Diego residential valuations for divorce, pre-listing, trust and date-of-death purposes. Official website. Business contact; no office address verified: 858-344-8322, appraisals@homeappraisersandiego.com. California Certified Residential license AR034388 — registry resource. A registry link is not a guarantee of current active status. Confirm credentials, service area, valuation date, fees and availability directly. Source checked 2026-11-06.
    • Appraisal Institute (Association): Professional association for real estate appraisers offering education and credentials. Official website. Not a local appraisal firm. Verify any appraiser's California license with the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Source checked 2026-11-06.

Process and resolution

  • Divorce mediation: A neutral helps both spouses negotiate their own agreement. The mediator is not either person's advocate.
    • JAMS (Provider): Alternative dispute resolution provider; its site describes mediation and family-law-related neutral roles. Official website. Contact through the official website. Ask about a specific neutral's family-law experience, location and availability. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Collaborative divorce: Each spouse has their own attorney, and a team of neutral professionals helps both reach agreement without a judge deciding.
    • International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) (Directory): Professional association for collaborative practice with a public member directory. Official website. IACP member directory. Not a law firm or a team you retain. Verify any listed professional's license independently. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Vocational evaluations: A vocational evaluator assesses a spouse's ability to find work, which can matter when support is decided.
    • Vocational Economics, Inc. (Provider): National forensic consulting firm focused on economic damages and earning capacity; site states it is headquartered in Louisville. Official website. A local divorce service has not been verified. Confirm it performs divorce earning-capacity evaluations and that its work suits California family court. Source checked 2026-11-06.

Wellbeing

  • Therapy and counseling: A licensed therapist treats your wellbeing. They are not a custody evaluator and are not a divorce coach.
    • Talkspace (Provider): Online therapy platform. Official website. Confirm your therapist is licensed in California and suited to your needs. Not a custody evaluator and not an emergency service. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Divorce coaching: A coach helps you get organised, communicate and make decisions. Coaching is not therapy and is not legal advice.
    • CDC Certified Divorce Coach (Training and designation): Training and certification organization for divorce coaches. Official website. Training program office (not coaching or counseling intake): 813-455-1134, cdc-registrar@certifieddivorcecoach.com. Listed here as a training organization, not an individual coach. Coaching certification is not a counseling license. Source checked 2026-11-06.

Practical help

  • Home inspections: Understand a home’s condition before planning repairs, a sale or a buyout. An inspection is different from an appraisal.
    • San Diego Home Inspection, Inc. (Provider): Buyer, seller and specialty home inspections serving San Diego County. Official website. Business contact: 619-752-4399. Confirm qualifications, inspection scope, service area, fees and availability. An inspection does not determine property value or resolve ownership disputes. Source checked 2026-11-06.
    • John Robinson's Inspection Group (Provider, San Diego County office): Home inspection services across San Diego County. Official website. Office contact: 619-257-5753, 2165 San Diego Ave, Suite 102, San Diego, CA 92110. Confirm qualifications, fees, availability and the systems covered in writing. Email is omitted because official-site spellings conflict. Source checked 2026-11-06.
    • The Property Inspection Pros (Provider): San Diego County property inspections, with sewer scope, mold and pool/spa inspection services. Official website. Business contact: 760-525-5340, jduncan@tpips.com. Confirm qualifications, fees, service area and availability. Ask which specialty inspections are included and which require separate arrangements. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Portable storage containers: A delivered container can separate packing from transportation. Confirm placement, access and storage arrangements before booking.
    • PODS, San Diego (Provider): Delivered portable containers for on-site or storage-center storage and local or long-distance moving in the San Diego area. Official website. Service inquiries: 855-706-4758. Confirm delivery coverage, fees, availability, placement permissions and storage access. Container delivery does not itself include packing or loading labor. Source checked 2026-11-06.
    • UNITS Moving and Portable Storage of San Diego (Provider, San Diego County office): Delivered portable containers with on-site or warehouse storage serving San Diego County. Official website. Current official location; confirm access before visiting: 858-225-8335, 2425 La Mirada Dr, Vista, CA 92081. Official storage services. Confirm fees, delivery coverage, availability, placement requirements and warehouse access. Ask separately about packing and loading help. Source checked 2026-11-06.
    • Big Box Storage (Provider): Portable-container delivery, pickup, indoor-facility storage and redelivery serving San Diego County. Official website. Service inquiries: 858-244-2691. Confirm service area, fees, availability, retrieval arrangements and delivery-site access. Arrange any loading labor separately unless expressly included. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Process servers: You cannot serve your own divorce papers. A friend, relative or professional process server must deliver them correctly.
    • National Association of Professional Process Servers (NAPPS) (Association): Professional association with a find-a-server directory. Official website. Association office: 800-477-8211, administrator@napps.org. NAPPS Find a Server. Not a process-serving company. Confirm any listed server works in San Diego County and meets California requirements. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Moving and storage: Separating a household is physical work. Plan it carefully, keep records and check that a mover is licensed.
    • TWO MEN AND A TRUCK San Diego (Provider, San Diego County office): San Diego location offering local and long-distance moving, packing, residential, apartment and senior moves, business moving, and storage options. Official website. San Diego office: 858-935-8392, 9245 Farnham St, San Diego, CA 92123. Confirm estimates, services, availability, storage access and current mover licensing directly before booking. This listing is not a recommendation or licensing verification. Source checked 2026-11-06.
    • Vector Moving and Storage (Provider, San Diego County office): Residential and commercial mover offering local and long-distance moves, packing, and warehouse storage with scheduled retrieval or delivery. Official website. Moving office: 844-468-6683, vectormovingsales@gmail.com, 6920 Miramar Rd #305, San Diego, CA 92121. Confirm estimates, availability, current mover licensing and storage retrieval or delivery arrangements directly. This listing is not a recommendation or licensing verification. Source checked 2026-11-06.
    • Best Fit Movers San Diego (Provider, San Diego County office): San Diego mover offering local and long-distance residential and commercial moving, packing, and storage. Official website. Main office: 858-503-0003, 8400 Miramar Rd #202A, San Diego, CA 92126. Confirm estimates, services, availability, storage access and current mover licensing directly before booking. This listing is not a recommendation or licensing verification. Source checked 2026-11-06.
  • Low-cost and self-help options: The court offers free self-help services, and other options exist when full representation is out of reach.

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Primary resources

This page is general education for San Diego County residents. It is not legal, tax, financial or mental health advice and has not been reviewed by an attorney. External organizations named here are informational listings only: no endorsement, partnership, referral or ranking is implied, and qualifications, availability and local service must be confirmed directly with each organization.