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Help With Negotiations ......................................................................................................422

Financial Advice ......................................................................................................................423

Document Preparation Services ....................................................................................425

Legal Advice .............................................................................................................................. 428

Other Ways to Look Things Up ......................................................................................431

Appendix

Grounds for Divorce .............................................................................................................436

Financial Inventory ................................................................................................................438

Net Worth Summary ...........................................................................................................440

Monthly Income ..................................................................................................................... 441

Daily Expenses .........................................................................................................................443

Monthly Budget ......................................................................................................................444

Index

he word divorce can conjure up images of confusion, conflict, and economic woes. And there is no question that going through a divorce is painful and difficult for just about anyone who experiences it. But although you may feel sad, you don't have to feel confused or helpless. You can educate yourself and take action. By picking up this book, you've taken the first step.

The legal part of divorce is not all that mysterious. In fact, ending the legal connections between you and your spouse is a fairly straightforward process. And its not impossible to understand-if you have someone to explain it to you in plain English. That's the goal of this book.

You can find help here whether you're considering a divorce or are ready to go ahead, whether or not you have a lawyer, and whether you are expecting an amicable split or a long, expensive, contested process.

Throughout this book, you'll encounter one theme over and over: that it is to everyone's benefit, and especially that of your children, to make the divorce process as civil as possible. It's a simple fact that the more you are able to avoid fighting now, the easier life will be later, when you see your spouse at your son's wedding or your daughter's college graduation. There are important immediate benefits as well: you'll save thousands in legal fees, and you'll sleep better at night.

To help you work things out with your spouse and avoid a costly court battle, this book explains:

• how divorce mediation can help you reach fair agreements about the big issues: custody, property, and support

• where to find the state-specific forms and information you'll need, along with more do-it-yourself resources

• how to get help from a lawyer without losing control of the process and having it turn nasty, and

• how to prepare a settlement agreement to document what you and your spouse decide about property, custody, and support.

But if, despite your best efforts, you find yourself headed toward a trial, you'll find help here, too. The book will explain the unfamiliar legal terms you're going to be hearing and tell you:

• what a divorce trial really looks like

• how courts divide property and decide custody and support questions

• how to enforce orders for child and spousal support, and

• how lawyers and other professionals can help you when you need them, and how to find and work with good ones.

Finally, we'll help you take care of wrapping up your divorce and preparing for your new life. The book also offers guidance on some postdivorce