What could be more important when getting divorced than to reduce as much as possible the emotional pain, expense and damage to your self-esteem and to your children?

How to Do Your Own Divorce in California by Ed Sherman, award-winning author, family law attorney, and founder of Nolo Press, shows you how to do just that in an easy-to-understand format that provides a complete kit for an uncontested divorce. Written in plain English with explanations of procedures, practical advice and step-by-step instructions, this book has helped Californians save billions of dollars in legal fees since the first edition was published more than 30 years ago. The 29thth edition updated for 2006 reveals the answers to the following five questions you must ask if you want your divorce to go as smoothly and easily as possible.

1. Can you do your own divorce? Yes, you can. Since How to Do Your Own Divorce in California was first published, millions of Californians just like you have done their own divorces without retaining lawyers, so you can almost certainly do it too.

2. Should you do your own divorce? Yes, you should do your own divorce. Most people would be better off if they didn’t retain an attorney unless they have a very clear reason for doing so. The legal process—and the way attorneys are trained to work in it—tends to cause trouble, raise the level of conflict, and greatly
increase your expense.

3. What does it mean to do your own divorce? Doing your own divorce is much more than just filling out forms and getting your spouse to sign an agreement. It is about thinking things out, solving problems, and making sound decisions, in depth and detail. Given the nature of divorce, it is understandable that you may
be reluctant to talk things over with your partner, but this is something you must do if you don’t want to become a victim of divorce.
4. What does it mean to retain an attorney? You are literally handing over your own power and authority to act. The attorney takes professional responsibility to act on your behalf, and standards of professional conduct require any attorney who represents you, even one with a good attitude, to act in ways that will complicate your case and make it worse instead of better.

5. What are the advantages of doing your own divorce? Studies show that active participation in your divorce is the single most important factor in getting a good divorce, including better compliance with agreements and orders after divorce, less post-divorce conflict and litigation, more good will, and better co-parenting. Also, it is much cheaper. When attorneys take your case, the cost can easily be from $30,000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars for the divorce. If you work together and do it yourself, your total costs will be less than $500 each.

ISBN 0-944508-59-6
Title: How to Do Your Own Divorce in California
Author: Ed Sherman, Divorce Specialist Attorney
256 pages, Trade Paperback + CD-ROM
Price: $29.95
Contact: Sandra Borland, (800) 464-5502
Email: sandra@nolotech.com
Nolo Press Occidental home page: www.nolotech.com
Online Press Room: Press Room

Call 800-464-5502, or email sandra@nolotech.com for an author interview or to request a review copy.

To get your “10 Tips for a Better Divorce” guide send an email to sales@nolotech.com and place the words “10 Tips” in the subject line.

For more info on this title see How to Do Your Own Divorce in California.