Divorce for Dummies » (REV)

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 ane-book entitled Stop Debt Collectors Cold (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.

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.

Introduction.

Part I: Trouble in Paradise.

Chapter 1: Understanding What Divorce Is All About.

Chapter 2: Considering Divorce Alternatives.

Chapter 3: Preparing Financially.

Chapter 4: Separation: A Healthy Breather or a Prelude to Divorce?

Part II: Moving Forward with Your Divorce.

Chapter 5: Putting Your Divorce in Motion.

Chapter 6: Telling Your Kids.

Chapter 7: Surviving Your Emotional Ups and Downs.

Part III: Decisions, Decisions.

Chapter 8: Yours, Mine, or Ours? Deciding Who Gets What.

Chapter 9: Spousal Support: Determining If, When, and How Much Is Paid.

Chapter 10: Custody: Deciding What’s Best for Your Children.

Chapter 11: Child Support: Taking Care of Your Kids’ Financial Needs.

Part IV: Coming to an Agreement: Negotiating the Terms of Your Divorce.

Chapter 12: Doing the Negotiating Yourself.

Chapter 13: Hiring a Divorce Attorney.

Chapter 14: Working with Your Attorney to Get the Best Results Possible.

Chapter 15: Using Mediation to Resolve the Sticky Issues in Your Divorce.

Chapter 16: Divorce Court: Letting a Judge Decide the Terms of Your Divorce.

Part V: Looking Toward the Future Now That Your Divorce Is Final.

Chapter 17: Handling Practical Matters after Divorce.

Chapter 18: Solving the Toughest Post-divorce Problems.

Chapter 19: ThinkingAhead: Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements.1

Part VI: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 20: Ten Great Divorce Web Sites.

Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Help Your Kids Cope.

Chapter 22: Ten Tips to Help You Move On.

Glossary.

Index.