| |
| |
| |
| Making the Decision | |
| |
| |
| |
| Saving Your Marriage: When There's Hope | |
| |
| |
| The Most Difficult Decision You Will Ever Make | |
| |
| |
| Resolving Conflicts and Saving Your Marriage | |
| |
| |
| Point of No Return | |
| |
| |
| When Is It Over? | |
| |
| |
| Don't Burn Your Bridges: Be Absolutely Certain | |
| |
| |
| When Divorce Is Urgent | |
| |
| |
| |
| Planning for Divorce | |
| |
| |
| Think Before You Act | |
| |
| |
| When It Comes as a Shock | |
| |
| |
| |
| Love in Ruins | |
| |
| |
| Breaking the News | |
| |
| |
| Oh, the Agony! | |
| |
| |
| Separation: Beginning of the End or a New Beginning? | |
| |
| |
| Deconstruction: Separation as the First Step | |
| |
| |
| The Value of Separation | |
| |
| |
| Surviving Forced Togetherness | |
| |
| |
| |
| When There's No Turning Back | |
| |
| |
| Where to Begin the End | |
| |
| |
| Gathering Your Financial Documents | |
| |
| |
| The Price of Dating Before the Divorce | |
| |
| |
| Hiring a Private Eye | |
| |
| |
| Reviewing Your Prenuptial Agreement | |
| |
| |
| Starting the Divorce Action | |
| |
| |
| Working Out a Settlement Agreement | |
| |
| |
| |
| Navigating the Law | |
| |
| |
| |
| How to Find and Retain an Attorney | |
| |
| |
| Why a Lawyer Might Be Essential | |
| |
| |
| How to Choose the Best Lawyer for You | |
| |
| |
| Your First Meeting | |
| |
| |
| Fees and Billing | |
| |
| |
| It's a Small World, After All | |
| |
| |
| Good Referral Sources | |
| |
| |
| The Fox, the Shark, and the Lamb: A Look at Legal Styles | |
| |
| |
| How to Interview a Lawyer | |
| |
| |
| You're Hired! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Your Lawyer's Obligations to You | |
| |
| |
| Great Expectations | |
| |
| |
| What Your Lawyer Should Be Doing and When | |
| |
| |
| Crossing the Line | |
| |
| |
| What Your Attorney Needs to Know | |
| |
| |
| How and When to Talk to Your Lawyer | |
| |
| |
| How to Annoy a Lawyer | |
| |
| |
| When to Fire Your Lawyer | |
| |
| |
| |
| Paying the Bill | |
| |
| |
| Why Legal Representation Is So Costly | |
| |
| |
| How Matrimonial Lawyers Charge | |
| |
| |
| Before You Put Your Money Down | |
| |
| |
| The Retainer Agreement: The Fine Print | |
| |
| |
| Who Pays for What? | |
| |
| |
| Twelve Tips for Keeping Fees Under Control | |
| |
| |
| How to Tell Whether Your Lawyer's Charges Are Legitimate | |
| |
| |
| Getting Your Money's Worth | |
| |
| |
| |
| The Art of the Deal: Settling Your Case Out of Court | |
| |
| |
| "No-Fault" Divorce | |
| |
| |
| Quick and Easy | |
| |
| |
| Not So Quick and Easy | |
| |
| |
| Working Through the Issues | |
| |
| |
| What Happens When the Settlement Is Reached? | |
| |
| |
| The Cost of a Quick Divorce | |
| |
| |
| Your Lawyer's Role | |
| |
| |
| The Default Divorce | |
| |
| |
| |
| The Circle of Mediation | |
| |
| |
| Gentle Tactics | |
| |
| |
| Advantages of Mediation | |
| |
| |
| When Mediation Works Best | |
| |
| |
| When to Avoid Mediation | |
| |
| |
| Choosing a Mediator | |
| |
| |
| Mediation as a Process | |
| |
| |
| All About Arbitration | |
| |
| |
| |
| Taking Your Case to Court | |
| |
| |
| Here Comes the Judge | |
| |
| |
| Behind Closed Doors: How Judges Resolve Issues | |
| |
| |
| How to Impress the Judge | |
| |
| |
| Going Through the Motions | |
| |
| |
| The Discovery Zone | |
| |
| |
| Trials and Tribulations: Your Day in Court | |
| |
| |
| Judicial Bias | |
| |
| |
| Family Court Versus Civil Court | |
| |
| |
| You're in the Army Now | |
| |
| |
| Should You Appeal? | |
| |
| |
| |
| When Divorce Turns Vicious | |
| |
| |
| The Nightmare Begins | |
| |
| |
| Harassment | |
| |
| |
| Order of Protection | |
| |
| |
| Serving the Order | |
| |
| |
| When an Order of Protection Is Not Enough | |
| |
| |
| |
| Closing the Book on Your Case | |
| |
| |
| When the Judgment Is Final | |
| |
| |
| After the Judgment Has Been Entered | |
| |
| |
| Your Benefits | |
| |
| |
| Changing Your Name | |
| |
| |
| Modifying the Divorce Decree | |
| |
| |
| How Remarriage Alters Things | |
| |
| |
| What If You Lose Your Job? | |
| |
| |
| When Your Ex Does Not Comply | |
| |
| |
| Bidding Your Lawyer Adieu | |
| |
| |
| |
| The Economics of Divorce | |
| |
| |
| |
| Dividing It Up | |
| |
| |
| The Art and Science of Division | |
| |
| |
| Variations in State Law | |
| |
| |
| Fairness Under the Law | |
| |
| |
| Re-Learning Long Division | |
| |
| |
| Dividing the Family Business | |
| |
| |
| Leave No Stone Unturned | |
| |
| |
| Toward Financial Resolution: A Worksheet Approach | |
| |
| |
| |
| Spousal Support | |
| |
| |
| The Who, When, and How Much of Maintenance | |
| |
| |
| Safety Net for the Homemaker | |
| |
| |
| Rules of Thumb | |
| |
| |
| What's Fair? Coming Up with a Number | |
| |
| |
| You Can't Always Get What You Want, but You'll Get What You Need | |
| |
| |
| Getting the Best Deal | |
| |
| |
| When Circumstances Change | |
| |
| |
| |
| Child Support | |
| |
| |
| Understanding Child Support | |
| |
| |
| A Review of the Law | |
| |
| |
| What's Fair? | |
| |
| |
| When a Parent Is in Default | |
| |
| |
| When You Think You're Paying Too Much | |
| |
| |
| When You're Not Receiving Enough | |
| |
| |
| Insurance and Healthcare for Your Children | |
| |
| |
| |
| Managing Your Money Solo | |
| |
| |
| Expect Your Financial Situation to Change | |
| |
| |
| Sharing the Responsibilities of Your Former Life | |
| |
| |
| Maintaining the Homestead | |
| |
| |
| Taking Stock of Your Finances | |
| |
| |
| Looking for Work | |
| |
| |
| Developing a Credit History | |
| |
| |
| Handling Your Debts | |
| |
| |
| Devious Ways a Divorcing Spouse Might Hide Assets | |
| |
| |
| Up for Sale: Divesting Your Assets to Make Ends Meet | |
| |
| |
| Selling Your House | |
| |
| |
| Living Within Your Means | |
| |
| |
| |
| Focus on the Children | |
| |
| |
| |
| What Does Custody Really Mean? | |
| |
| |
| Negotiating Custody | |
| |
| |
| Custody Is Not Ownership | |
| |
| |
| When You Lose Custody | |
| |
| |
| Joint Versus Sole Custody | |
| |
| |
| Determining the Primary Residence | |
| |
| |
| When a Mother Decides to Give Up Custody | |
| |
| |
| Custody Issues When Conflict Is Out of Control | |
| |
| |
| |
| Breaking the News | |
| |
| |
| When to Tell Your Children | |
| |
| |
| How to Tell Your Children | |
| |
| |
| What to Tell Your Children | |
| |
| |
| When a Parent Moves Far Away | |
| |
| |
| Helping Children Deal with Intense Emotion and Pain | |
| |
| |
| |
| Coparenting and Visitation | |
| |
| |
| When Parents Live Apart | |
| |
| |
| All About Attitude | |
| |
| |
| Age-Appropriate Visitation | |
| |
| |
| Scheduled for Success | |
| |
| |
| If at First You Don't Succeed | |
| |
| |
| Keeping the Joy in Holidays Despite the Divorce | |
| |
| |
| Long-Distance Parenting | |
| |
| |
| Managing Visitation in High-Conflict Situations | |
| |
| |
| |
| Two Parents, Two Homes | |
| |
| |
| Through the Eyes of a Child | |
| |
| |
| Transitional Tool Kit | |
| |
| |
| Six Strategies for Helping Your Kids with Change | |
| |
| |
| Making the Exchange Smoothly | |
| |
| |
| Children Who Fight Visitation | |
| |
| |
| |
| Single Parenting | |
| |
| |
| A New Beginning: Just You and the Kids | |
| |
| |
| If You Are the Custodial Parent | |
| |
| |
| If You Are the Noncustodial Parent | |
| |
| |
| The Ultimate Balancing Act: Parenting, Work, and a Life of Your Own | |
| |
| |
| Needs Water and Sunlight: Nurturing Your Kids | |
| |
| |
| |
| Redefining the Family | |
| |
| |
| Math for Kids of Divorce: When Two Is Less Than One (Home) | |
| |
| |
| Helping Your Kids Accept Your New Spouse | |
| |
| |
| The Dynamics of the Stepfamily | |
| |
| |
| How to Make Your Children Feel Welcome in Your New Family | |
| |
| |
| Shifting Sands: Different Homes, Different Rules | |
| |
| |
| How Stepparents See It | |
| |
| |
| Half-Siblings, Stepsiblings, and the New Baby | |
| |
| |
| |
| Getting On with Your Life | |
| |
| |
| |
| Facing Your Feelings | |
| |
| |
| The Heart of Darkness | |
| |
| |
| Into the Light | |
| |
| |
| A Life of Your Own | |
| |
| |
| Rediscovering Your Sense of Self | |
| |
| |
| Now That It's Over, It's Okay to Feel Mad | |
| |
| |
| Dealing with Feelings of Guilt | |
| |
| |
| The Life You Left Behind | |
| |
| |
| Letting Go and Moving On | |
| |
| |
| When Doubt Lingers | |
| |
| |
| How to Be Friends with Your Ex | |
| |
| |
| |
| Learning to Live Alone | |
| |
| |
| A Room of One's Own: Finding a New Place to Live | |
| |
| |
| Pack Up, You're Outta There | |
| |
| |
| The Art of Divesting: Shedding the Baggage | |
| |
| |
| Discover Your Own Style | |
| |
| |
| Life Skills 101: Basic Training | |
| |
| |
| Rites of Passage: When New Rituals Enrich Your New Life | |
| |
| |
| Flying Solo | |
| |
| |
| |
| The Ties That Bind: Family and Friends | |
| |
| |
| When You Can't Let Go of the In-Laws | |
| |
| |
| Helping Children Maintain Family Ties | |
| |
| |
| His, Hers, Ours: Who Keeps the Friends? | |
| |
| |
| Don't Hold On When Friendships Must Change | |
| |
| |
| Your New Circle of Friends | |
| |
| |
| Married Friends: Friends Just the Same | |
| |
| |
| Joining In and Branching Out | |
| |
| |
| When Your Career Can Jump-Start Your Life | |
| |
| |
| |
| Looking for Love in All the Right Places: Taking Another Chance on Romance | |
| |
| |
| Coming Out of Your Shell | |
| |
| |
| Experimental Dating | |
| |
| |
| When the Idea of a Real Relationship Finally Feels Right | |
| |
| |
| Be Prepared to Spend Some Time Looking for "the One" | |
| |
| |
| Where to Go, What to Do | |
| |
| |
| A Word About Dating Services | |
| |
| |
| Dating for the Millennium | |
| |
| |
| Keep Your Cool | |
| |
| |
| Focusing In: Loving Again | |
| |
| |
| Don't Make the Same Mistake Twice | |
| |
| |
| The Second Time Around | |
| |
| |
| Planning Your Prenup | |
| |
| |
| Out with the Old, in with the New | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| The Complete Divorce Lexicon | |
| |
| |
| |
| The Divorce Network: A Guide to Divorce Organizations | |
| |
| |
| Children and Divorce | |
| |
| |
| Legal Resources | |
| |
| |
| Single Parents | |
| |
| |
| Moms and Divorce | |
| |
| |
| Domestic Abuse | |
| |
| |
| Dads and Divorce | |
| |
| |
| Blended Family Support | |
| |
| |
| Financial Resources | |
| |
| |
| Psychological Support | |
| |
| |
| |
| Suggested Readings and Online Resources | |
| |
| |
| Books and Magazine Articles | |
| |
| |
| Divorce Online: Make the Connection | |
| |
| |
| |
| A Guide to Divorce Laws on the World Wide Web | |
| |
| |
| A General Guide to Divorce Law on the Internet | |
| |
| |
| A State-by-State Roadmap to Divorce Laws and Legal Resources on the Internet | |
| |
| |
| |
| Sample Settlement Agreement | |
| |
| |
| Index | |