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Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility The Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility is provided as an expression of the
ethical standards that the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts™ has adopted and each Certified Divorce Financial Analyst has agreed to abide by. The code applies to every Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ designee and candidate in conducting divorce-planning work.
1. Integrity: Maintain the highest standard of honesty and integrity when dealing with
colleagues, the IDFA™, clients or attorneys. Avoid practices that would dishonor your profession, IDFA™ or any of its members and employees.
2. Competence: In addition to satisfying the continuing education requirement needed
to maintain the use of the designation, every CDFA™ should serve their clients
competently. Therefore, acquiring the knowledge and skill necessary to do so in the
area of divorce planning is required.
3. Objectivity: Objectivity requires a CDFA™ to be intellectually honest and impartial.
Regardless of who hired him or her, a CDFA™ will always be objective when dealing with clients and their attorneys.
4. Fairness: CDFA™’s who maintain their financial practices should make divorceplanning
recommendations independent of the potential financial planning relationship, doing so will alleviate the risk of potential conflict of interest. To do so, a CDFA™ will need to separate the two practices as to not confuse the public.
5. Confidentiality; A CDFA™ shall hold client information to the highest standard of
confidentiality. Short of client consent or appropriate legal process, a CDFA™ shall not release any information about their client before, during or after the divorce.
6. Professionalism: A CDFA™’s interactions shall project the highest levels of
professionalism. Whether dealing with clients, attorneys, IDFA™ or any of its
partners or subsidiaries a CDFA™ will behave in a professional manner.
7. Scope: A CDFA™, by education and training, is specialist dealing in the financial
issues of divorce. Working along side the attorney who is licensed to practice law, a
CDFA™ must never (unless licensed to do so) advise clients on their legal rights. In
addition, a CDFA™ must never market his or her services in a misleading fashion or
represent themselves as representatives of IDFA™.
8. Compliance: A CDFA™ will comply with all the laws related to the business they
conduct and report to the IDFA™ any actions by other CDFA™’s that are illegal or
in violation of this code. In addition, a CDFA™ will comply with any requests from
the IDFA™ for information regarding any complaints brought against him or her. If
IDFA™, after comprehensive investigation, decides that either suspension or
revocation of the CDFA™ designation is the proper remedy, a CDFA™ will comply
with the order.
9. Unauthorized practice of law: A CDFA™ understands that, in order to practice law,
one has to be licensed. Under no circumstances will a CDFA™ represent that the
IDFA™ certification is a license to practice law.
10. Support: A CDFA™ will always support our profession and the IDFA™ as the
main driving force behind the progress of the profession. Additionally, a CDFA™
will not collude, debase or discredit the IDFA™ or the profession.
Source: Institute for Certified Divorce Financial Analysts. Used with permission. www.idfa.com Return Home
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