Divorce For Dummies

Thelma Fisher, OBE, a former chair of the UK College of Family Mediators, has been instrumental in the development of mediation for divorcing couples over the last 23 years. Hilary Woodward is a family lawyer and mediator based in Bristol, specialising in divorce and family matters for over 20 years. John Ventura is an authority on consumer advocate law and financial issues. He earned degrees in both law and journalism from the University of Houston. He currently operates three law offices specialising in bankruptcy, consumer law, and personal injury in the Rio Grande Valley. He has written eight books on consumer and small-business legal and financial matters, and is the author of Law For Dummies (Wiley). In addition, he writes a regular column for a Texas business journal and hosts a weekly radio program on legal issues. Mary J. Reed has ghost-written numerous books on money and legal matters and has been a regular contributor to Home Office Computing and Small Business Computing magazines. She is the owner of MR-PR, a public relations and special events firm based in Austin, Texas. Prior to starting her own business, Mary was vice-president of marketing for a national market research firm, public affairs and marketing director for a women's health-care organization, and public relations manager for an award-winning regional magazine. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., and a master's degree in Business from Boston University.

Introduction.Part I: Trouble in Paradise.Chapter 1: Your Divorce Roadmap.Chapter 2: What to Do First When Things Start to Go Wrong.Chapter 3: Wise Up to Your Family's Money Matters.Chapter 4: Family Law Basics.Chapter 5: Divorce Law Basics.Chapter 6: Separation: A Healthy Breather or a Prelude to Divorce?Part II: Divorce Preliminaries.Chapter 7: Setting Your Divorce in Motion.Chapter 8: Helping Your Children Get Through Your Divorce.Chapter 9: Taking Care of Your Emotional Self.Part III: Decisions, Decisions.Chapter 10: Deciding Who Cares for Your Children.Chapter 11: Dividing Up What You Own.Chapter 12: Maintenance for You or Your Spouse.Chapter 13: Providing Financially for Your Children.Part IV: Working Out the Terms of Your Divorce Agreement.Chapter 14: Doing Some of the Negotiating Yourself.Chapter 15: Choosing a Family Solicitor.Chapter 16: Using a Mediator to Help You Work Things Out Together.Chapter 17: Helping Your Solicitor Get the Best Results Possible.Chapter 18: Putting the Decisions in the Hands of a Judge.Part V: After Your Divorce Is Finalised.Chapter 19: Handling the Practical Matters of Life after Your Divorce.Chapter 20: The Toughest Post-divorce Problems (and How to Solve Them).Chapter 21: Thinking Ahead: Pre-marital Agreements.Part VI: The Part of Tens.Chapter 22: Ten (or More) Divorce Web Sites.Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Help Make Everything Okay for Your Kids.Chapter 24: Ten Tips for Putting Your Divorce Behind You and Moving On.Chapter 25: Ten Strategies for Next Time.Glossary of Terms.Index.