Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce - Emily Doskow [1]
Preparing and Filing Legal Papers ...................................................................................60
How the Other Spouse Can Respond ............................................................................76
Negotiating a Settlement and Preparing a Marital Settlement Agreement .................................................................................................. 77
Finalizing Your Uncontested Divorce ............................................................................ 78
Working It Out: Divorce Mediation
Why Divorce Mediation Works ........................................................................................84
What Does Mediation Cost? ..............................................................................................86
Is Mediation Right for You? ............................................................................................... 88
Suggesting Mediation to Your Spouse .........................................................................90
Choosing a Mediator .............................................................................................................. 92
Choosing and Working With a Lawyer .......................................................................99
The Mediation Process ........................................................................................................101
How to Make Your Mediation a Success ...................................................................107
After the Mediation, the Paperwork ...........................................................................109
If Mediation Doesn't Work ...............................................................................................109
When You Can't Agree: Contested Divorce and Trial
Finding the Right Lawyer ...................................................................................................115
Paying the Lawyer ..................................................................................................................120
Is Fault a Factor? ......................................................................................................................126
Getting Started .......................................................................................................................129
Gathering Information for Trial: Disclosures, Discovery, and Digging Up Dirt .....................................................................................................133
Settle, Settle, Settle! ..............................................................................................................137
The Pretrial Conference ......................................................................................................140
Anatomy of a Divorce Trial ...............................................................................................141
After the Trial ...........................................................................................................................145
Custody Decisions and Parenting
Physical and Legal Custody ...............................................................................................151
The High Road: Agreeing With Your Spouse on a Parenting Plan ...............152
Helping Your Kids Cope With Divorce .......................................................................163
Making Shared Parenting Work .....................................................................................170
Trying to Get Along With Your Ex ................................................................................178
When It Comes to Divorce, Grownups Are Kids, Too ........................................179
Custody Disputes
The Low Road: Fighting It Out in Court ....................................................................182
How Courts Handle Custody Disputes ......................................................................182
If the Custodial Spouse Interferes With Visitation ..............................................194