Book Review: Divorce Without Court: A Guide to Mediation & Collaborative Divorce

Tips to Help You And Your Spouse Part Ways Amicably

If someone says “divorce”, you might immediately imagine two people battling it out in court. Tensions are high and the attorney bills even higher – it’s a scenario most of us would like to avoid at all costs.

Fortunately, the American divorce process has evolved a bit and there are alternate approaches to that ugly court battle scene.

In Divorce Without Court: A Guide to Mediation & Collaborative Divorce, attorney and mediator Katherine E. Stoner shows you how to part company with your spouse without losing your sanity in the process.

Presented in an easy-to-read format, Divorce Without Courttakes you through the various types of divorces (there’s four, according to Stoner) and thoroughly explains the different approaches that are available to you and your soon-to-be ex.

You’ll learn the difference between mediation and collaborative divorce as well as the various stages of each. You’ll discover the benefits of using these alternative methods to divorce and get tips on making mediation or collaboration work for you.

Divorce Without Court is an invaluable resource for couples facing divorce, providing some timely and much-needed tips to alleviate some of the stress and help you focus on the matter at hand. Inside, you’ll find:

• The do’s and dont’s of proposing mediation and collaborative divorce
• Shortcuts to finding the right collaborative attorney
• Tips for screening and interviewing potential mediators
• How to prepare for the negotiation
• What to do if you can’t opt out of mandatory mediation
• Tips for doing your own legal research online

“If you and your spouse both want to settle things but are having trouble doing that on your own, mediation or collaborative divorce can give you a way to keep the legal divorce simple and uncontested,” writes Stoner. “Both mediation and collaborative divorce offer tools to help you and your spouse communicate at a time when things between you may be at an all-time low.”

Citing a few case studies of her own, Stoner shows you how mediation and collaborative divorce can ease some of the emotional and financial burdens that come with splitting up. You’ll learn how to handle last minute changes and demands as well as how to successfully negotiate when you and your spouse have hit a brick wall.

Divorce Without Court is a hefty 402 pages that’s full of usable, practical advice for couples looking for a better way to say goodbye.