The Unofficial Guide To Divorce

The statistics are no secret: the U.S. Census Bureau reports that 50% of marriages end in divorce. This means that each year, 2.5 million people go through the divorce process -- many of them without a clear-cut understanding of their options. That's where The Unofficial Guide to Divorce comes into play.While most books on divorce are either personal sagas or dry, technical guides, this book is written with the aid of both a therapist and an attorney. It sensitively explains the process and offers unbiased advice on selecting an attorney, evaluating agreement options, dealing with a high-conflict divorce, helping families cope with stress, getting emotional support, using the Internet as a valuable resource, and so much more. The Unofficial Guide to Divorce will allow readers to survive the ordeal and come up winners both emotionally and financially.

The inside scoop... for when you want more than the official line! Sad. Mad. Scared. Stressed. Distraught. Distracted. Overwhelmed. Divorce dredges up so many emotions and entails so many financial and legal issues, it's difficult to stay rational and keep your life on track. This savvy, updated guide empowers you to take constructive steps toward a better future. It leads you through preparing for divorce, the process, legal issues, coping, sticky situations, and post-divorce financial and health-care issues. It tells you things attorneys and other advisors may not, and gives unbiased recommendations for negotiating the tricky issues of divorce while keeping your sanity. * Vital Information to help you protect your interests in a divorce or in dealings with your future ex, attorneys, financial advisors, and more. * Insider Secrets for moving from "I do" to "I don't" with harmony, intelligence, and grace. * Money-Saving Techniques to reduce legal fees and court costs. * Time-Saving Tips to help you resolve your divorce without going to court. * The Scoop on the Latest Trends and precedents in spousal and child support, pre-nups, and more to help you set realistic expectations. * Handy Checklists to help you do everything from setting priorities to telling the children to dividing property

Is there really such a thing as a “good divorce”? Determined to uncover the truth, Elizabeth Marquardt—herself a child of divorce—conducted, with Professor Norval Glenn, a pioneering national study of children of divorce, surveying 1,500 young adults from both divorced and intact families between 2001 and 2003. In Between Two Worlds, she weaves the findings of that study together with powerful, unsentimental stories of the childhoods of young people from divorced families. The hard truth, she says, is that while divorce is sometimes necessary, even amicable divorces sow lasting inner conflict in the lives of children. When a family breaks in two, children who stay in touch with both parents must travel between two worlds, trying alone to reconcile their parents’ often strikingly different beliefs, values, and ways of living. Authoritative, beautifully written, and alive with the voices of men and women whose lives were changed by divorce, Marquardt’s book is essential reading for anyone who grew up “between two worlds.” “Makes a persuasive case against the culture of casual divorce.” —Washington Post “A poignant narrative of her own experience . . . Marquardt says she and other young adults who grew up in the divorce explosion of the 1970s and 1980s are still dealing with wounds that they could never talk about with their parents.”—Chicago Tribune

No matter what your age, divorce is one of life’s greatest challenges. But while your parents, friends, and lawyers may be chock-full of advice, the truth is that young women who divorce today face a brand-new set of issues and possibilities far removed from those of women a generation before. If you’re looking for a fresh, empowering, and thoroughly modern guide to starting this new chapter of your life, Not Your Mother’s Divorce offers the ultimate roadmap—from wading through legal jargon to getting back into society—as told by your best girlfriends who’ve been there. Based on the experiences of more than thirty women who divorced in their twenties and thirties without children, Not Your Mother’s Divorce offers camaraderie and practical counsel on: Breaking the news to family and friends Coping with sudden singledom—from living arrangements to changing your name Protecting yourself financially and dividing your assets Legalese 101—making the legal process work for you Reentering the dating scene How to handle encounters with your ex Warm and insightful, Not Your Mother’s Divorce gives you the tools to find your way through this difficult time—and emerge a stronger, wiser, happier you.

Couples contemplating divorce or in the process of going their separate ways need all the support they can get. This book takes them through the legal, practical and financial issues that need to be addressed, before and during divorce.