Divorce Handbook for California: How to Dissolve Your Marriage Without Disaster

...you should get this book. It summarizes all of the ups and downs of having an attorney, not having an attorney, getting an expensive attorney, and getting a bad attorney. He speaks to men and women alike about custody, community property and other things that you could do that you may regret forever. Very intelligent man who gives you many ways to dissolve your marriage, or even save it.

As presiding judge of Silicon Valley's Santa Clara County Family Court, Judge Stewart has made decisions regarding the dissolution of literally thousands of California marriages. He knows what he is talking about, and in this fascinating account he provides the strategies to enable people to come though the process with as little damage to themselves, their children, their spouses, and their finances as possible. Anyone facing divorce in California, or elsewhere, for that matter, should buy this book and study it carefully. Dispelling eight popular myths such as the popular misconception that the judge hearing a divorce case will have substantial experience with divorce law, Judge Stewart begins by showing how to avoid financial disaster and how to select an attorney. He then goes on to give rare insights into how a judge in fact determines child custody and support matters, spousal support, the fate of the family home, and attorney's fees. He gives practical advice on how to protect oneself physically and emotionally. In short, Judge Stewart has written an insider's frank, fascinating, and somewhat frightening view into the workings of California divorce courts. The book could well provide the stimulus for a great TV dramatic series. Congratulations to an outstanding, thoughtful judge for providing a superb, practical, account of the workings of family law courts in California.

I found Judge Stewart's Divorce Handbook for California to be not only incredibly thorough, but also quite easy to understand and free of condescending "legalese". In fact, there is an extensive glossary of terms that I could quickly refer to if I was at all unsure of a legal concept. This book is superior to the "do it yourself" variety, because it illustrates a variety of legal options for the reader, including how to hire a competent attorney and yet protect yourself financially. Because divorce is such a complicated and emotional process, it is reassuring to have a clear and comprehensive resource to turn to for info on a variety of legal issues, such as spousal support, division of property, custody, attorneys etc. I enthusiastically recommend this extremely useful book!