Getting Divorced Without Ruining Your Life: A Reasoned, Practical Guide to the Legal, Emotional and Financial Ins and Outs of Negotiating a Divorce Settlement » (REVISED & UPDATED)

Sam Margulies, Ph.D., J.D., teaches and practices mediation in Montclair, New Jersey, and Greensboro, North Carolina.

As a leading divorce negotiator and mediator, Sam Margulies has helped thousands of couples reach fair and amicable settlements. In this compassionate guide, now updated with vital information on changes in divorce law and norms, Margulies covers the legal, financial, and emotional realities of divorce in a straightforward, reassuring style. He takes readers through every step, from making the initial decision to finalizing the agreement, including:

• Why mediation is now the preferred way to divorce
• How to avoid the conflicts that often occur after the divorce is over
• How to negotiate successfully even when you are angry
• How to manage step-family conflict in the aftermath of divorce

With examples drawn from real-life cases, Getting Divorced Without Ruining Your Life explains how to protect one's own interests and negotiate a stress-free, enduring agreement that allows both partners to embark on a new life.

Contents

Introduction to the Revised Edition

Part One: Getting Ready

one

Making Choices

two

Why Divorces Go Bad

three

The Emotional Crises of Divorce

four

The Economics of Divorce

five

What You Need to Know About Divorce Law

six

The Five Issues of Divorce

seven

Lawyers, Mediators, and Other Professionals

Part Two: Negotiating Your Agreement

eight

Negotiating with Your Spouse

nine

Negotiating Your Parenting Agreement

ten

Preparing Your Budgets and Assessing Your Needs

eleven

Negotiating Child Support

twelve

Negotiating Alimony

thirteen

Negotiating the Distribution of Marital Property

fourteen

Pulling the Agreement Together

fifteen

Managing Postdivorce Conflict

sixteen

Stepparenting

seventeen

Some Final Thoughts from the Coach

Index