The Guys’ Guide to Separation and Divorce
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley October 13, 2022
Author
Distributor: Separate Together
ISBN: 9781925452556
Publisher: Dean Publishing
Release Date: August 2022
Website: http://www.separatetogether.com.au/
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Divorce or separation is never an easy choice to make, but once the decission is made there are a raft of issues waiting to catch the unaware, no matter how amicable or otherwise the divorce or separation.
Siobhan Mullins has spent many years working in family law, helping to guide people through the trauma and emotion of separation. The Guys Guide to Separation and Divorce is her second book created from interviews with many of her male clients who have contributed the ‘guy insights’ they found helpful.
But why did a young woman, unmarried and never having experienced first-hand the sadness of separation, decide to write such a book is interesting. She realised over the course of her time spent with men going through divorce or separation that they have no idea how to cope with separation, where to go to get sound advice, how to handle their emotions and how to try to understand what the other partner is going through during this time.
Mullins also states very clearly that there is no such a thing as 50/50 no matter what is agreed and therefore, for everyone’s benefit realistic expectations need to be established in regard to housing, money, parenting and much more, which is an issue that needs to be addressed by both parties early in the process.
Set out in easy to understand language, she lists all the legal terms and definitions that need to be understood before getting into the nitty gritty of what happens next. Issues such as the simple thing of looking after yourself and the statistics that go with this, as well as many helpful tips and pointers to making sure caring for self is a normal part of your daily routine, has been clearly and carefully presented.
Parenting is an area full of issues and emotions: regardless of what happens, care needs to be taken to establish a good parenting agreement that does not have a detrimental effect on the children.
Child Support, Financial Split, Maintenance, Divorce, Thinking Ahead, Getting to an Agreement, all areas everyone has to contend with and importantly, the section of Coping, which has been created by 10 guys who offered their experiences for the book, have been clearly explained.
Many of the chapters are set out, often in a question and answer style which is very helpful, or in dot point which helps to clarify some of the trickier sections of the Law. Although the book is aimed primarily at men, the information is sound, legal advice, laced with a common sense approach for anyone going through this emotionally testing time.
Definitely a must read by anyone who is facing separation or divorce The Guys Guide to Separation and Divorce is full of common sense about a situation which is often or definitely anything but what was expected.