Product Description

There’s no such thing as an easy divorce. But knowing what to expect and being prepared to cope with the emotional, legal, and financial complications of a divorce certainly lessen the pain.Divorce For Dummies, Second Edition helps you minimize the stress and strain of divorce by cutting legal costs and knowing everything you should ask your attorney and expect your attorney to ask you. This reassuring guide covers everything you need to know about divorce, including:

• Preparing financially for your divorce
• Putting your divorce in motion
• Telling your kids
• Division of assets and spousal support
• Child custody and support
• Hiring and working with an attorney
• Negotiating on your own behalf
• New laws covering common law marriages, homosexual partnerships, and parents

Complete with a directory of divorce Web sites and tips on how to move on, this is the resource you need to survive your divorce and thrive in your new life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #630853 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
"&an excellent investment&" -- Daily Mirror, 28 April 2004

From the Back Cover
Get empowering tips for cutting legal costs and coping emotionally

Get through divorce proceedings and all the legal, financial, and personal stress

Divorce doesn't have to be about winners, losers, and huge legal bills. Filled with practical advice, this friendly guide demystifies the process, explaining revised family, divorce, and bankruptcy laws and current child support trends in plain English. You'll see how to negotiate terms, avoid costly mistakes, cope with your emotions, find support — and move on with your life!

Discover how to

• Assess whether you're ready for divorce
• Understand your legal rights
• Cut costs by negotiating terms yourself
• Find and work with an attorney
• Avoid going to trial
• Help your kids get through it

About the Author
John Ventura is an attorney and a nationally known authority and advocate on consumer law and financial issues. As a boy, he dreamed of becoming a Catholic priest so he could help others. To prepare for that career, he spent his high school years in a seminary. After graduation, John decided he could best pursue his dream by combining journalism with the law, so he earned a degree in both from the University of Houston.
Today, John has an interest in four law offices in the Rio Grande Valley, where he offers legal advice in the areas of bankruptcy and consumer law. His goal as an attorney and as an author is to provide individuals with the information and advice they need to make the laws work for them, not against them.
John has written 12 books on consumer and small-business legal and financial matters and is the author of Law For Dummies (Wiley). He has written for Home Office Computing and Small Business Computing magazines and has written a regular column for a Texas business journal. John also has hosted a weekly radio program on legal issues.
John has been a frequent network TV show guest on CNN, CNN-fn, CNBC, the Fox News Channel, and the Lifetime Network and has done numerous national and local radio programs. He has provided expert opinion for publications including Money, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, Black Enterprise, Inc., Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek.

Mary Reed writes about financial and legal issues affecting consumers and small-business owners. She coauthored Divorce For Dummies (Wiley), Good Advice for a Bad Economy (Berkley), and an e-book entitled Stop Debt Collectors Cold (www.stopebtcollectorscold.com). She has ghostwritten 11 other books for consumers and small-business owners and has also written for Good Housekeeping Magazine, Home Office Computing Magazine, Hispanic Business, as well as for several Texas newspapers.

Customer Reviews

thorough, reliable
Divorce for Dummies is a thorough overview of the divorce process and ways to make it easier and less expensive. I know the authors from interviewing them for my Internet radio show, [...] and other articles, and I know they are very careful in the resources and information they present. I also believe they really do have the consumer's best interest at heart.

As a consumer educator myself, I know some of the information -- especially related to finances -- is crucial. I've talked with so many people over the years who have been burned because they thought everything was taken care of with the divorce decree. Unfortunately, that's not the final word on how things will work out! That is especially true with regard to credit. If you have joint accounts PLEASE read their warnings or you may likely get stuck with your ex's bad credit for years.

Even if you have a great divorce attorney, he or she won't have time to cover all the topics in this book with you, so I recommend it to make sure you're well-informed. One more caveat -- make sure you get the 2nd edition of this book, which is the most recent!

Covers Many Topics
This book hit on many topics and is a good reference book to use throughout the various stages of your divorce. Touches on a wide variety of things and generally answers some questions you might have. Some advice in this book I did not see in other divorce books such as what to do about debt in both of your names. Outlines what to do about credit card debt in both names as well as mortgage debt in both names. Mortgage debt is harder to get out of your name even if your spouse is awarded the asset. You are both still liable for mortgage debt until it is paid off or refinanced. Even if your divorce decree says that your former spouse is responsible for paying it. Book tells you how to communicate with credit card companies in regard to protecting your credit.
This book is worth reading because you will probably learn at least a few things you did not previously know.

Good overview
Overall this book covers a lot of important topics with regards to the whole divorce process with good explanations and definitions. While some areas could have gone into more detail and perhaps provided some worksheets or step by steps guides, I don't think any (critical) issues were left out. While some other books I've seen stated the obvious and left you thinking "well duh"...this book had good information throughout.