Description: Can you really have a civilized divorce without an expensive and stressful court battle? Ending a marriage is always difficult, but it doesn't need to be fraught with financial or emotional conflict. This book guides you through a negotiated divorce, using alternatives to court, such as divorce mediation or a new approach called, "collaborative divorce."
Brief description: Katherine E. Stoner is a superior court commissioner in Monterey County, California. Prior to that, she was a certified family law specialist, with a practice focused primarily on family law and mediation. She was a founding member of Collaborative Practice of Monterey County. She is also the coauthor of Prenuptial Agreements: How to Write a Fair & Lasting Contract (Nolo). Katherine has been a trainer at the Center for Mediation in Law in Marin County, California, and is an adjunct faculty member at Monterey College of Law, where she teaches community property, family law, and mediation.
Review Quotes: "Divorce is never emotionally easy to get through, but with useful resources such as... Divorce Without Court, it does not have to be financially devastating." American Reference Books Annual
"Finally--a realistic and balanced approach to getting divorced without costly court battles. This accessible book takes divorcing couples through the entire process." Gary Friedman, Author of a Guide to Divorce Mediation
"A person considering divorce could not have a more valuable resource than Divorce Without Court. A comprehensive step-by-step guide through the process for people who want to avoid the expense and damage of litigation." Chip Rose, Author of Collaborative Family Law Practice
"Stoner explains how people ending their marriage can avoid the high cost and the escalation of lawyers by finding a neutral mediator or two lawyers (one for each party) who offer a new approach to resolving divorces called collaborative law or collaborative divorce. These professionals help the two parties come to agreement on the issues without a legal battle, she says. The topics include the role of mediation and collaborative law in the divorce process, proposing mediation or collaboration to your spouse, preparing for and making the most of the first session, negotiating in mediation or collaborative divorce, divorce for same-sex couples, and mediation and collaboration after divorce." Eithne O'Leyne, Editor Ringgold, Inc. ProtoView