I am not an "amazon associate" and get no advertising pennies. These are just good books.
Divorce is hard.
Remember to take a break.
Read a few fun books about lawyers, read lots of fun books about dogs, and maybe read some books about negotiating a better deal.
If you feel that the judge in your case particularly has it for you, then go ahead and read a few serious books about corruption in our legal system. It will not give you any practical pointers, but at least you will no longer feel so singled out.
Then read Portia Porters “How To Stiff Your Divorce Lawyer” for practical pointers.
Fun Books about Courts and Lawyers
Portia Porter’s lighthearted stories of a newly minted divorce lawyer will keep you in good spirits while teaching you everything you need to know about divorce courts, divorce judges and divorce lawyers.
And, speaking of newly-minted lawyers. Add a few John Grisham books to your reading list.
Dogs for mental health
(“It is a fact universally acknowledged”: dogs are good for mental health.
Have a friend, who is going through a divorce, and tends to bring every conversation to the evil soon to be ex-spouse? Or maybe you are that friend? Problem solved. Run out and buy a book (or two) from the AFL (AylwardFamilyLaw) Dog Collection. Guaranteed to cheer up most bitter souls.
…A legal expert cat works purr bono in Alex Valentine’s Zip and Milly…
Laugh-out-loud-funny Randy Grim‘s books help speak dog and find your inner better person…
— and no man ever wrote anything funnier than Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat to Say Nothing of the Dog.
Courts and Systems
So you want to get serious and read about the law?
If you (or a buddy of yours, or a family member) are thinking divorce, first thing you need is a harsh dose of divorce court reality.
For reality check, first read “How to Stiff Your Divorce Lawyer?” (The answer is yes, it is easy to stiff a lawyer, but that turns out to be so not the point.)
For more about the book, read here.
Your view of the law and courts will never be the same.
And you do not have to take my word for it: just read the Amazon reviews. According to the readers just like you, “Can You Stiff Your Divorce Lawyer?” offers “grimy sausage-making of how the law really works” and the book will make you “realize what a dysfunctional mess the legal system is, how much it is going to negatively disrupt their life, and how little they are ever going to get out of it. It’s like gambling . . . but no fun, way more expensive, and somehow less morally worthwhile for society.”
Terrified yet? Amazon reviewer number one opines that the horrors of litigation described in the book “will convince you it’s better to stay in a terrible marriage than go through the hell of divorce litigation.” The consensus among the readers is that the book is not only eye-opening, but also gives “very practical advice on how to work with your lawyer to get the best outcome.” You should have read “Can You Stiff Your Divorce Lawyer” before you made your wedding vows, but it only came out in 2016. So check out your copy today.
But if you still think about litigating because you “deserve your day in court,” do yourself a favor and read at least first fifty pages of the eye-opening book, “Licensed to Lie” by Sidney Powell.
Adultery, Cheating, Infidelity, Indecision
If infidelity is an issue, do not waste another day: run out and buy Chump Lady’s “Leave a Cheater” bible. Lock yourself in the house, and do not emerge until you’d finished every page, and can tell whether you are a unicorn, a cake, or being used for kibbles.
If you need help figuring out what’s in your own heart, turn to the most recommended “Do You Keep Your Husband or Do You Post Him on Craigslist?” (I love the title.)
Negotiating vs. Litigating
Do not embark on divorce litigation until you finish your copy of “Getting to Yes” and re-read all the parts you highlighted. No, it is not a book about divorce. It is a book about winning in negotiation. You read it right. Winning. In negotiation. Harvard-trained authors of “Getting to Yes” will help you keep your emotions in check as you are negotiating your way to the bigger piece of the divorce pie. And the best part is . . . you do not have to hide this book from your spouse. In fact, you are better off both reading it. Yes, both of you will be better off. Why? Because divorce is not a zero-sum game. Read the book to find out why. Do it now.
To better “read” your opponent, turn to Joe Navarro’s “What Every Body is Saying.”
And, speaking of FBI agents turned writers, Chris Voss is, sadly, a better negotiator that Harvard. No thanks to human nature… but you should read “Never Split the Difference.”
And finally, there’s the Break-up Classic …