Ending a marriage is always difficult, but you don't have to be overwhelmed by financial or emotional conflict. Through mediation or a collaborative approach, you can avoid huge legal bills while protecting your kids from debilitating conflict. This book guides you through all the steps of negotiating a divorce settlement, using divorce mediation or the innovative approach called "collaborative divorce." Encouraging, straightforward and inspiring, Divorce Without Court explains how mediation and collaborative divorce works for all kinds of families and shows you how to: choose the right technique for your family; maximize opportunities for settlement; get an agreement in writing; find and use advisers; protect your children first, last and always. Divorce Without Court provides key state court websites, contact information for mediation organizations, and clear examples of what you can expect in either mediation or collaboration.

Includes an online link in Appendix A to access interactive worksheets, checklists and other forms.

Divorce without court: your best option. --1. The role of mediation and collaborative law in the divorce process -- 2. What happens in mediation -- 3. What happens in a collaborative divorce -- 4. Deciding to mediate or collaborate -- 5. Proposing mediation or collaboration -- 6. Finding a mediator -- 7. Finding a collaborative attorney -- 8. Using advisers and doing legal research -- 9. Getting started on information gathering -- 10. Preparing for and making the most of the first session -- 11. Evaluating your progress in mediation or collaborative divorce -- 12. Communicating in mediation or collaborative divorce -- 13. Negotiating in mediation or collaborative divorce -- 14. Court-sponsored mediation -- 15. Encountering difficulties in mediation and collaboration -- 16. Writing up the divorce agreement -- 17. Divorce for same-sex couples -- 18. Women and men in mediation and collaborative divorce -- 19. Unmarried couples in mediation and collaboration -- 20. Mediation and collaboration after divorce -- A. Worsheets on the Nolo Websites -- B. State Court Websites.