Built by someone going through it —
not a law firm marketing to you.
My name is Darryl. I'm a Bay Area resident, and I've been going through my own divorce for over a year and a half. I built Know Your Half because I needed it — and couldn't find anything like it.
Why I built this
When I started my divorce process, I had no idea what my financial life was going to look like on the other side. Every resource I found was either written by a law firm trying to get my business, or so full of legal language that I couldn't tell what actually applied to my situation.
I wanted to understand my own numbers before I walked into an attorney's office. Not so I could avoid hiring one — I absolutely needed one — but so I could show up prepared instead of overwhelmed. Because overwhelmed costs more.
So I built the tool I wished had existed. And then I kept going, adding articles, state guides, calculators, and scenario pages for every question I kept asking and couldn't get a straight answer to.
That's what Know Your Half is: a plain English financial resource built by someone who actually went through this, for people who are going through it right now.
What you'll find here
Know Your Half covers three stages of the financial relationship conversation:
- Together — financial alignment articles and a quiz for couples who want to get on the same page before problems start
- Divorce — calculators, state guides, articles, and scenario pages covering alimony, child support, home equity, and retirement splits
- Starting Over — practical guides for the financial steps right after a divorce is final
How I research and write
Every article on this site is researched against primary sources — state statutes, IRS publications, official state calculators — and written to a Grade 7–8 reading level. No jargon without an immediate plain English explanation. No vague "it depends" answers without explaining what it depends on.
- All state law claims link directly to the statute or official agency page
- Every percentage or formula is followed by a concrete dollar example
- Legal terms are translated in the same sentence they appear
- All content carries a clear disclaimer: this is education, not legal advice
- Articles are reviewed and updated when laws change
- No sponsored content. No lead generation. No upsell.
The calculators
Your data and privacy
All financial inputs you enter are processed entirely within your browser. I never see, store, or transmit your income figures, asset values, or any other personal information. Anonymous usage data is collected via Google Analytics to help improve the tools. That's it.
The formulas
- Alimony — AAML guideline formula: 30% of payor's gross income minus 20% of recipient's gross income
- Child support — Income Shares Model approximation, the statutory formula in 41 states
- Home equity — Market value minus mortgage balance, split by state property rules
- Retirement — Coverture fraction: months married ÷ total months in plan, the standard used in QDRO calculations
Ready to understand your numbers?
What's My Half? →Contact
Questions, feedback, or suggestions? Visit the contact page or email knowyourhalf@gmail.com.