Divorce Survival

Book List for Couples

Crazy Time; Surviving Divorce and Building a New Life, Abigail Trafford; Harper Perennial publishers. A personal road map for people going through divorce. It presents a step-by-step guide to understanding the predictable emotional passages of men and women after marriage ends.

Getting to yes, Roger Fisher and William Ury; Penguin Books. This book is the first of a trilogy, which offers a practical, universally applicable approach for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in disputes ranging from domestic conflict, business disputes, and international tensions.

Getting Past No, William Ury; Bantam Books. This book offers strategies for dealing with someone who is angry, unreasonable, deceitful, or stubborn and does not want to negotiate.

A Guide to Divorce Mediation: How to Reach a Fair, Legal Settlement at a Fraction of the Cost, Gary J. Friedman, Workman Publishing. Written for divorcing couples, this book presents a truly inside view of the mediation process, to help couples make the decision to mediation, to understand the ground rules and context, and to learn to select a good mediator.

Healthy Divorce, Craig Everett and Sandra Volgy, Jossey-Bass, Inc. Healthy Divorce explores ways of confronting such tough issues as how to tell your children you are getting a divorce; how to plan a separation; and how to cope with your feelings of anger, grief, and abandonment. The authors offer practical advice on using mediation as an alternative to the adversarial court battle; co-parenting to maintain stability for the children after the divorce; and organizing and structuring a happy blended family.

101 Ways to be a Long-Distance Super Dad or Mom, Too! George Newman, Blossom Valley Press, 1996. A practical guide to some creative tricks you can use to maintain contact with your child, even when you rarely can be physically present.

Between Love and Hate: A Guide to Civilized Divorce, Lois Gold, PLUME Penguin Book, 1995. Addresses legal, financial, and emotional issues during and after the divorcing process. Helps parents improve communication and utilize effective negotiation and conflict resolution skills to avoid legal battles.

Caught in the Middle: Protecting the Children of High-Conflict Divorce, Carla Garrity and Mitchell Baris, Josey-Bass, Inc., 1994. Examines causes and consequences of parental conflict and offers advice on how to make co-parenting work, even in high conflict divorce.

Divorce Book for Parents, Vicky Lansky, Book Peddlers, 1996. Self-help guide through the stages of separation and divorce. Age-specific advice in a down-to-earth approach.

Families Apart: Ten Keys to Successful Co-Parenting, Melinda Blau, Perigree, 1993. Structured around 10 principles of successful co-parenting. Describes the tasks, attitudes, and communications skills that are required to move the family through all the transitions and events that continue to bring parents together, even post-divorce.

For Better or For Worse: Divorce Reconsidered, Mavis E. Hetherington, and John Kelly, W. W. Norton & Company; 2003. A balanced picture of divorce based on solid research of 1400 families. Presents a nuanced picture of divorce and its squeal—single parenthood, step families, remarriage, etc. Looks types of families that divorce through the life process after divorce. Presents a slightly optimistic view.

Ex-Etiquette for Holidays and Other Family Celebrations Jann Blackstone-Ford and, Sharyl Jupe, Chicago Review Press; 2007. Through realistic and trusted advice, this innovative new guide brings the celebration back to the holidays for blended families.

 

 

 

 

Getting Divorced Without Ruining Your Life, Sam Marquiles, Ph.D., J.D., Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group. In this guide, now updated with vital information on changes in divorce law and norms, Margulies covers the legal, financial, and emotional realities of divorce. He takes readers through every step, from making the initial decision to finalizing the agreement, including: Why mediation is now the preferred way to divorce; How to avoid the conflicts that often occur after the divorce is over; How to negotiate successfully even when you are angry; How to manage step-family conflict in the aftermath of divorce.

Getting Apart Together: A Couples Guide to a Fair Divorce or Separation, Martin A. Kranitz and Philip M. Stahl; Impact Publishers Inc. An organized thorough guide to the important issues for every separating couple, and an effective aid for those who seek professional mediation. "Your chances of getting the outcome you want are best when you take control of the decision-making process," says Martin Kranitz, Director of the National Center for Mediation Education.

Divorcing With Dignity: Mediation the Sensible Alternative, Time Emerick-Cayton, and Carl D. Schneider; Westminster John Knox Press. This practical guide provides an alternative to the standard methods of arbitration and litigation used by divorcing couples - and shows how mediation can be used instead.

Mediate, Don’t Litigate, Peter Lovenheim and Lisa Guerin; Nolo. This book provides detailed information on settling divorce, business and employment disputes, as well as sample mediation rules, contact information for state, national and regional mediation organizations, and the standards of conduct for mediators.

Helping Children Survive Divorce: What to Expect… Archibald D. Hart, Thomas Nelson; 1997. In a friendly, heart-to-heart language, this author offers divorced parents specific ways to help children cope with the psychological and social damage that comes with divorce.

Mom’s House, Dad’s House: Making Two Homes Work for Your Child, Isolina Ricci, Collier Books; 1997. Update of the classic Mom’s House, Dad’s House: Making Shared Custody Work. Covers legal, emotional, and financial issues involved in setting up two homes for your children.

Questions from Dad: A Very Cool Way to Communicate with Kids, Dwight Twilley, Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc.; 1994. Helps parents with ideas for communicating with his/her child after a divorce to establish, increase, and maintain emotional closeness. The author is a writer and musician. He illustrates a creative way to communicate with his child by creating “Dad’s Test” that asks questions about the child and his/her interests.

How to Parent With Your Ex: Working Together for Your Child's Best Interest Brette McWhorter, Sourcebooks, Incorporated; 2005. Hands on, practical advice is offered about things that can derail a visitation plan. This book emphasizes creating a life for your child that is free of arguments, disputes, and bad feelings.

Raising Children in Blended Families: Helpful Insights, Expert Opinions, and True Stories, Maxine Marsolini, Kregel Publications; 2006. A realistic and forthright resource, this practical guide for parents of blended families helps adults understand their children's feelings and cope with arising difficulties.

Making Divorce Easier on Your Child: 50 Effective Ways to Help Children Adjust... by Nicholas Long, Rex L. Forehand, NTC Publishing Group; 2002. Informative and sensible, offering realistic, clear-cut recommendations offers parents 50 effective strategies and action for helping their children cope with divorce.

Giving The Love That Heals, Hendrix, Harville Ph.D., Hunt Helen, PhD., Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, 1998. Practical, insightful approaches that can powerfully shape the parent-child bond, giving the Love that Heals gives us the keys to helping our children to become healthy, responsible, and caring people.