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May 07, 2012, 07:02:00 PM
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A review of Divorce Handbook For California" - 4th Ed.", by James W. Stewart
ISBN 1-886230-23-4. approx $37.95, 185 pg, softbound. Available from Amazon.com at this link: Divorce Handbook for California 5th Ed
, or from Impact Publishers Inc, PO BOX 6016, Atascadero, CA 93423-6016, 1-800-246-7228.
Written by Judge James W. Stewart, Divorce Handbook For California is refreshingly candid. Although specifically intended to address divorce laws and procedures in California, nearly all the information in the Divorce Handbook For California could be applied to a divorce action in almost any other State. Keep in mind that while practices vary from State to State, many States are moving towards a "California style" approach to divorce, so the information may be more appropriate for your State than you might think.
In the first dozen pages, Judge Stewart gives you a frighteningly accurate picture of how most divorces actually get resolved. The primary focus of the Handbook is preventing "financial disaster", but considerable attention is also paid to making sure that the settlement you receive is fair and equitable.
Some attorneys will bristle at the brutally frank discussions of how the system operates, but others will smile as they see a judge "telling it like it is". The fact is, nearly every popular notion of divorce is dead wrong, and Judge Stewart punctures some of the most common myths like a marksman. Here are a few of the eight key myths Judge Stewart covers:
Judge Stewart describes the typical progression of most divorce cases and provides some practical alternative practices that, if used, will almost certainly save you and your spouse a small fortune in legal fees. A variety of practical tips are presented, including pointers on hiring an attorney and ways to "bypass" the public court system.
One good tip, for example, concerns hiring an attorney for mediation. Judge Stewart recommends hiring the attorney and informing him at the outset that if mediation fails, another attorney will be retained for whatever may follow. (You may want to have one picked out already.) This lets the attorney know that failed mediation will not result in any further work (money) for him. There will be less reason for him to "flub" the mediation in a deliberate or unreasonable way because doing so will not benefit him financially.
At $19.95, this book is a bargain. Written in a clear, no-nonsense format, the Divorce Handbook For California is a worthwhile buy for any California resident as well as people in other States going through divorce. The Divorce Handbook For California would also make an excellent companion book to "Win Your Child Custody War", filling in a few additional topics.
Based on price (moderate) and content (very useful), we rate Divorce Handbook For California as a 4-star resource (on a scale of 1 to 5).
ISBN 1-886230-23-4. approx $37.95, 185 pg, softbound. Available from Amazon.com at this link: Divorce Handbook for California 5th Ed
, or from Impact Publishers Inc, PO BOX 6016, Atascadero, CA 93423-6016, 1-800-246-7228.Written by Judge James W. Stewart, Divorce Handbook For California is refreshingly candid. Although specifically intended to address divorce laws and procedures in California, nearly all the information in the Divorce Handbook For California could be applied to a divorce action in almost any other State. Keep in mind that while practices vary from State to State, many States are moving towards a "California style" approach to divorce, so the information may be more appropriate for your State than you might think.
In the first dozen pages, Judge Stewart gives you a frighteningly accurate picture of how most divorces actually get resolved. The primary focus of the Handbook is preventing "financial disaster", but considerable attention is also paid to making sure that the settlement you receive is fair and equitable.
Some attorneys will bristle at the brutally frank discussions of how the system operates, but others will smile as they see a judge "telling it like it is". The fact is, nearly every popular notion of divorce is dead wrong, and Judge Stewart punctures some of the most common myths like a marksman. Here are a few of the eight key myths Judge Stewart covers:
- Myth - My case will ultimately go to trial before a judge who will rule on the disputes my spouse and I cannot resolve.
- Myth - The judge is the person with the most influence over which of us will have primary custody of our children.
- Myth - The judge who hears my case will have substantial experience in dissolution (divorce) matters.
Judge Stewart describes the typical progression of most divorce cases and provides some practical alternative practices that, if used, will almost certainly save you and your spouse a small fortune in legal fees. A variety of practical tips are presented, including pointers on hiring an attorney and ways to "bypass" the public court system.
One good tip, for example, concerns hiring an attorney for mediation. Judge Stewart recommends hiring the attorney and informing him at the outset that if mediation fails, another attorney will be retained for whatever may follow. (You may want to have one picked out already.) This lets the attorney know that failed mediation will not result in any further work (money) for him. There will be less reason for him to "flub" the mediation in a deliberate or unreasonable way because doing so will not benefit him financially.
At $19.95, this book is a bargain. Written in a clear, no-nonsense format, the Divorce Handbook For California is a worthwhile buy for any California resident as well as people in other States going through divorce. The Divorce Handbook For California would also make an excellent companion book to "Win Your Child Custody War", filling in a few additional topics.
Based on price (moderate) and content (very useful), we rate Divorce Handbook For California as a 4-star resource (on a scale of 1 to 5).